■Classic  >^YrMS  in  engush  l 


EDJTED    BY  C./^.GAYLEY 


INIV 


.  OF  CALIF.  UBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 


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THE    CLASSIC    MYTHS 


ENGLISH    LITERATURE 

BASED  CHIEFLY  ON 

BULFINCH'S   "AGE   OF   FABLE" 

(»855) 

ACCOMPANIED    BY 
AN  INTERPRETATIVE  AND  ILLUSTRATIVE  COMMENTARY 

EDITED    BY 

CHARLES  MILLS  GAYLEY 

Professor  of  the  Engush  Language  and  Literature 
IN  THE  University  of  California 


BOSTON,   U.S.A. 
PUBLISHED   BY  GINN   &    COMPANY 

1893 


Copyright,  1893, 
Bv  CHARLES  MILLS  GAYLEY. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


Typography  by  J.  S.  Cushing  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 
Presswork  by  Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


c 


STACK  AW«£X 


TO    THE  MUSES. 

Whether  on  Ida's  shady  brow, 
Or  in  the  chambers  of  the  East, 

The  chambers  of  the  sun,  that  now 
From  ancient  melody  have  ceas'd; 

Whether  in  Heav'n  ye  wander  fair, 
Or  the  green  corners  of  the  earth, 

Or  the  blue  regions  of  the  air, 

Where  the  melodious  winds  have  birth; 

Whether  on  crystal  rocks  ye  rove, 
Beneath  the  bosom  of  the  sea. 

Wandering  in  many  a  coral  grove. 
Fair  Nine,  forsaking  Poetry; 

How  have  you  left  the  ancient  love 
That  bards  of  old  enjoyed  in  you ! 

The  languid  strings  do  scarcely  move, 
The  sound  is  forc'd,  the  notes  are  few ! 


WiUiam  Blake. 


PREFACE. 


It  has  long  been  evident  to  me  that  much  of  our  best  English 
poetry  lies  beyond  the  imaginative  reach  of  many  readers  because 
of  their  unfamiliarity  with  the  commonplaces  of  literary  allusion, 
reference,  and  tradition.  Of  such  commonplaces  few  are  more 
frequently  recurrent  than  the  situations  and  agencies  of  myth. 

In  view  of  this  consideration,  the  Academic  Council  of  the 
University  of  California,  some  two  years  ago,  introduced  into  its 
requirements  for  entrance  in  English  the  subject  of  Classical  My- 
thology in  its  relation  to  English  Literature,  and  recommended, 
as  a  text- book  for  preparation,  Bulfinch's  Age  of  Fable.  The 
experience  of  English  and  classical  teachers  in  the  schools  of  the 
state  has  attested  the  wisdom  of  the  requirement ;  but  the  demand 
for  some  text-book  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  class-room  has 
made  necessary  the  preparation  of  this  volume.  For,  while  the 
Age  of  Fable  offers  a  tempting  collection  of  Greek,  Norse,  and 
Oriental  narratives  with  illustrations  from  English  literature,  — 
while  it  has  delighted  one  generation  of  American  boys  and  girls, 
and  will,  no  doubt,  delight  many  generations  to  come,  —  it  was 
designed  neither  as  a  school-book  nor  as  a  systematized  presenta- 
tion and  interpretation  of  the  myths  that  have  most  influenced 
English  literature. 

At  the  request  of  my  publishers,  I  have  accordingly  under- 
taken such  a  revision  and  rearrangement  of  the  materials  of  the 
Age  of  Fable  as  may  adapt  it  to  the  purposes  of  teacher  and 
pupil,  and  to  the  taste  of  readers  somewhat  more  advanced  in 
years  than  those  addressed  by  the  original  work  or  by  the  edition 
which  bears  the  name  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale.     But, 


VI  PREFACE. 

after  a  year's  work,  I  find  that  half  my  material  for  copy  is 
altogether  new,  and  that  the  remainder  differs  in  many  impor- 
tant respects  from  the  book  upon  which  it  was  based.  Conse- 
quently, while  the  obligation  to  the  Age  of  Fable  is  acknowledged 
in  full,  a  new  title  has  been  selected  for  this  volume.  For,  neither 
my  publishers,  nor  I,  would  desire  to  have  the  scholarship  or  the 
taste  of  Mr.  Bulfinch  held  accountable  for  liberties  that  have  been 
taken  with  his  work. 

In  the  Classic  Myths  in  English  Literature,  Chaps.  XXV.-XXX., 
containing  paraphrases  of  the  Iliad,  the  Odyssey,  and  of  certain 
Norse  lays,  are  a  revision  of  corresponding  chapters  in  the  Age 
of  Fable.  Chaps.  IX.-XXIII.,  comprising  Attributes  of  Roman 
Divinities,  Myths  of  the  Greater  Divinities  of  Heaven,  Earth,  the 
Underworld,  and  the  Waters,  Myths  of  the  Lesser  Divinities  of 
the  same  regions.  Myths  of  the  Older  Heroes,  and  Myths  of  the 
Younger  Heroes,  represent  a  careful  rearrangement  and  recom- 
position  of  the  original  material,  section  by  section,  and  frequently 
paragraph  by  paragraph,  —  such  portions  of  the  Age  of  Fable  as 
have  been  retained  being  abridged  or  rewritten,  and,  in  places 
too  frequent  to  enumerate,  supplemented  by  new  and  necessary 
sentences,  paragraphs,  and  sections.  The  Introduction,  the  first 
eight  chapters  (on  the  origin,  elements,  distribution,  and  preser- 
vation of  myth,  the  Greek  myths  of  the  creation,  and  the  at- 
tributes of  Greek  divinities).  Chaps.  XXIV.  and  XXXI.  (on  the 
Houses  concerned  in  the  Trojan  War,  and  the  old  Norse  and 
German  heroes),  choice  of  illustrations,  the  footnotes  referring  to 
sources,  and  the  Commentary  are  wholly,  or  essentially,  my  own. 

Although  in  the  Index  of  Mythological  Subjects  the  more  com- 
mon myths  of  some  other  nations  are  briefly  stated,  no  myths  save 
those  known  to  the  Greeks,  Romans,  Norsemen,  or  Germans  have 
been  included  in  the  body  of  the  text.  The  scope  of  selection  has 
been  thus  confined  for  three  reasons  :  first,  the  regard  for  necessary 
limits ;  second,  the  desirability  of  emphasizing  only  such  myths  as 
have  actually  acclimated  themselves  in  English-speaking  lands,  and 
have  influenced  the  spirit,  form,  and  habit  of  English  imaginative 


PREFACE  VU 

thought;  third,  the  necessity  of  excluding  all  but  the  unques- 
tionably classic.  The  term  Classic,  however,  is,  of  course,  not 
restricted  to  the  products  of  Greece  and  Rome ;  nor  is  it 
employed  as  synonymous  with  Classical  or  as  antithetical  to 
Romantic.  From  the  extreme  Classical  to  the  extreme  Romantic 
is  a  far  cry ;  but  as  human  life  knows  no  divorce  of  necessity 
from  freedom,  so  human  art  knows  neither  an  unrelieved  Classi- 
cal nor  an  unrestrained  Romantic.  Classical  ^nd  Romantic  are 
relative  terms.  The  Classical  and  the  Romantic  of  one  genera- 
tion may  merit  equally  to  be  the  Classics  of  the  next.  Therefore 
certain  Hellenic  myths  of  romantic  spirit  or  construction  have 
been  included  in  this  work  ;  and  certain  Norse  and  German  myths 
have  not  been  excluded.  Whatever  is  admitted,  is  admitted  as 
first-class  :  first-class,  because  simple,  spontaneous,  and  beautiful ; 
because  fulfilling  the  requirements  of  perennial  freshness,  of 
aesthetic  potency,  and  of  ideal  worth. 

In  the  matter  of  illustrative  English  and  American  poems  the 
principle  of  selection  has  been  that  the  verses  shall  translate  a 
myth  from  the  classic  original,  or  exemplify  the  genuine  poetic 
idealization  and  embellishment  of  the  subject,  or  suggest  the  spirit 
and  mien  of  ancient  art.  But  in  each  case  regard  has  been  had 
to  the  sesthetic  value  of  the  poem  or  the  citation.  In  the  search 
for  suitable  examples  I  have  derived  valuable  assistance  from 
Mr.  E.  C.  Guild's  Bibliography  of  Greek  Mythology  in  English 
Poetry  of  the  Nineteenth  Century  (Bowdoin  College,  Library 
Bulletin,  No.  i). 

In  the  Commentary  four  things  have  been  attempted  :  first,  an 
explanation,  under  each  section,  of  ordinary  textual  difficulties; 
second,  an  unpretentious  exposition  of  the  myth  or  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  more  evident  interpretations  advanced  by  philologists 
or  ethnologists  ;  third,  an  indication  of  certain  additional  poems  or 
verses  that  illustrate  the  myth  ;  fourth,  special  mention  of  a  few 
masterpieces  of  ancient  and  modern  sculpture  and  painting  that 
may  serve  to  introduce  the  student  or  the  general  reader  to  a 
field  of  aesthetic  profit  neglected  by  the  great  mass  of  our  people. 


VlU  PREFACE. 

Since  this  book  is  intended  for  students  of  English  poetry,  and 
since  in  English  poetry  Latin  names  of  mythological  charac- 
ters are  much  more  frequently  employed  than  Greek,  the  Latin 
designations,  or  Latinized  forms  of  Greek  names,  have  been,  so  far 
as  possible  retained.  In  the  chapters,  however,  on  the  attributes 
of  the  Greek  gods,  names  exclusively  Greek  have  been  placed 
in  parentheses  after  the  usual  Roman  equivalents,  Latin  appel- 
lations, or  designations  common  to  both  Greek  and  Roman  usage. 
In  the  transliteration  of  Greek  names  I  have  followed,  also,  the 
prevalent  practice  of  our  poets,  which  is,  generally  speaking,  the 
practice  of  the  Romans.  The  diphthong  ci,  for  instance,  is  trans- 
literated according  to  the  accepted  English  pronunciation,  which 
in  individual  words  perpetuates  the  preference  of  the  Latins  for 
the  e,  or  the  i,  respectively.  So  'At/jciSt;?  becomes  Atrides ; 
no<r«8(uv,  Posidon ;  I^t/Ac'Seta,  Iphimedla.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  Kv^epeta  becomes  Cytherea ;  n?;v€tos,  Peneus  ;  and  MT/8eta, 
Medea.  On  the  same  principle,  such  a  name  as  $a8tas  would 
be  anglicized  not  Pheidias,  nor  even  Phidias,  but  —  PJiidias.  A 
few  names  of  islands,  towns,  persons,  etc.,  that  even  in  Latin 
retain  their  Greek  forms,  such  as  Delos,  Naxos,  Argos,  Aglauros, 
Pandrosos,  have  been  transferred  without  modification.  In  short, 
the  practice  aimed  at  has  been  not  that  of  scientific  uniformity, 
but  of  acknowledged  poetic  usage. 

For  the  benefit  of  readers  who  have  failed  to  acquire  the  funda- 
mental rules  for  the  pronunciation  of  Greek  and  Latin  proper 
names  in  English,  a  brief  statement  of  rules  is  prefixed  to  the  In- 
dex ;  and  in  the  Index  of  Mythological  Subjects  and  their  Sources 
names  are  not  only  accented,  but,  when  there  is  possibility  of  error, 
syllabicated. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  Text  and  Commentary  more  or  less  use 
has  been  made  of :  Roscher's  Ausfiihrliches  Lexicon  der  Griech- 
ischen  und  Romischen  Mythologie  {Lieferungen  1-2 1,  Teubner, 
Leipzig);  Preller's  Griechische  Mythologie  (2  Bde.,  Berlin  :  1861)  ; 
Max  Miiller's  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  Science  of  Religion 
(Lond. :  1873),  Science  of  Language  (7th  ed.  2  v.,  Lond. :  1873), 


PREFACE.  IX 

Oxford  Essays  (1856) ;  Sir  G.  W.  Cox's  Mythology  of  the  Aryan 
Nations  (2  v.,  Lond. :  1878) ;  Welcker's  Griechische  Gotterlehre  ; 
Baumeister's  Denkmaler  des  Klassischen  Alterthums ;  Murray's 
Manual  of  Mythology  (N.  Y. :  1880);  Smith's  Dictionary  of  Greek 
and  Roman  Biography  and  Mythology ;  Duruy's  Histories  of 
Rome  and  Greece  ;  Keightley's  Greek  and  Roman  Mythology ; 
Kelsey's  Outline  of  Greek  and  Roman  Mythology  (Boston  :  1889); 
Horn's  Geschichte  der  Literatur  des  Skandinavischen  Nordens 
(Leipzig:  1880)  ;  Cleasby  and  Vigfusson's  Icelandic  Dictionary; 
Liining's  Die  Edda  (Zurich:  1859);  Vigfusson  and  Powell's 
Corpus  Poeticum  Boreale  (2  v.,  Oxford  :  1883)  ;  Paul's  Grundriss 
der  Germanischen  Philologie,  i  Bd.,  5  Lfg.  (article  Mythologie,  by 
E.  Mogk)  ;  Grimm's  Teutonic  Mythology  (translated  by  Stally- 
brass,  3  v.)  ;  Werner  Hahn's  Das  Nibelungenlied ;  Lang's  Myth, 
Ritual,  and  Religion  (2  v.,  Lond. :  1887),  and  Mythology  (Encyc. 
Brit.,  vol.  9)  ;  Tylor's  Anthropology  (N.  Y. :  1881)  and  Primitive 
Culture  (2  V.)  ;  J.  W.  Powell's  Annual  Reports  of  the  Bureau  of 
Ethnology  (7  v.,  beginning  1879-80,  Washington,  D.C.) ;  Keary's 
Outlines  of  Primitive  Belief;  Fiske's  Myths  and  Mythmakers 
(Boston)  ;  Whitney's  Oriental  and  Linguistic  Studies ;  The  Ori- 
gin of  Myth,  an  exquisite  and  sympathetic  lecture  too  little 
known  to  the  public,  by  Professor,  now  President,  William  Pres- 
ton Johnston  of  Tulane  University, (published  by  Morton  &  Co., 
Louisville :  1872)  ;  and  of  other  works  to  which  due  reference  is 
made  in  the  footnotes  and  Commentary.  The  student  is  also 
referred  to  F.  B.  Jevons'  edition  of  Plutarch's  Romane  Questions 
(transl.  by  Philemon  Holland,  Lond. :  1892)  (introduction  on 
Roman  Mythology)  ;  and  to  C.  G.  Leland's  Etruscan-Roman 
Remains  in  Popular  Tradition  (Lond. :  1892). 

For  the  illustrative  cuts  in  the  Text,  I  am  indebted  in  some 
cases  directly  to  Baumeister  and  Roscher,  in  other  cases  to  the 
selection  made  by  Messrs.  Allen  and  Greenough,  in  their  admi- 
rable school  editions  of  Vergil  and  Ovid,  from  Baumeister,  Roscher, 
the  Archaologische  Zeitung  (Berlin),  Herculaneum  and  Pompei 
(by  H.  Roux  Ain6),  Millin's  Galerie  Mythologique  (Paris:   181 1), 


X  PREFACE. 

Miiller's  Denkmaler  der  Alten  Kunst  (Gottingen :  1832),  and 
other  collections,  to  which  reference  is  made  in  the  List  of  Illus- 
trations prefixed  to  the  Text.  The  Maps,  furnished  by  Messrs. 
Ginn  &  Co.  from  other  of  their  publications,  have,  with  the  kind 
consent  of  the  authors  of  those  works,  in  some  instances  been 
adapted  by  me  to  suit  the  present  purpose. 

I  take  this  opportunity  of  returning  especial  thanks  to  Messrs. 
W.  B.  Everett  and  W.  S.  Soule  of  the  Soule  Photograph  Co. 
(338  Washington  St.,  Boston),  for  the  hberal  collection  of  photo- 
graphs, from  works  of  art  illustrating  mythological  subjects,  that 
they  have  placed  at  my  disposal,  and  of  calling  attention  to  the 
edition  of  this  work  (interleaved  for  illustration  by  photographs) 
to  be  published  by  that  company.  I  also  acknowledge  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  W.  K.  Vickery  (Publisher  and  Art  Dealer,  224  Post 
St.,  San  Francisco),  who  has  lent  me  many  photographs  and 
engravings  of  works  of  art  that,  otherwise,  might  have  escaped 
my  notice. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  acknowledge  gratefully  my  obligation  to 
my  esteemed  colleague,  Professor  Isaac  Flagg,  for  untiring  assist- 
ance in  the  reading  of  proof,  and  for  critical  suggestions  not  a  few 
of  which  have  been  adopted. 

Berkeley,  California, 

May  I'jUt,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 


PACE 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS xxii 

LIST  OF   MAPS xxvii 

INTRODUCTION.  — THE  STUDY  OF  MYTHOLOGY  IN  CON- 
NECTION WITH  ENGLISH   POETRY xxLx-xxxviii 

CHAPTER   L  — THE  ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS  OF   M\TH.  1-18 

§    I.   Purpose  of  the  Study i 

§    2.    Kinds  of  Myth 3 

§    3.    Divisions  of  Inquiry 5 

§    4.   Elements  of  Myth 5 

§    5.   Reasonable  Myths 6 

§    6.    Unreasonable  Myths ....  8 

§    7.  Theory  of  Deterioration 8 

§    8.  Theory  of  Progress 13 

Extract  from  Wordsworth's  Excursion,  Bk.  iv 15 

CHAPTER   IL  — THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  MYTHS 19-21 

§    9.    Principal  Theories   19 

CHAPTER   III.  — THE  PRESERVATION   OF  MYTHS 22-36 

§  10.   In  General 22 

§  1 1.   In  Greece;  Selections  from  Milton  and  Spenser 22 

§  1 2.   Roman  Poets  of  Mytholog)- 28 

§  13.    Records  of  Norse  Mythology 30 

§  14.   Records  of  German  Mythology 33 

§  1 5.    Records  of  Oriental  Mythology 34 


xu  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER   IV.  — GREEK  M\THS  OF  THE  CREATION 37-50 

§  16.   Origin  of  the  World 37 

§  1 7.   Origin  of  the  Gods 38 

§  1 8.   The  Rule  of  Cronus 39 

§  19.  The  War  of  the  Titans 40 

§  20.   The  Division  of  Empire 40 

§21.   The  Reign  of  Jupiter 40 

§  22.   The  Origin  of  Man 42 

§  23.   The  Age  of  Gold 43 

§  24.   The  Silver  Age 44 

§  25.    Prometheus,  Champion  of  Man;   Lines  by  Byron 44 

§  26.    Longfellow's  Prometheus 46 

§  27.   The  Brazen  Age 48 

§  28.  The  Rood 48 

§  29.   Deucalion  and  Pyrrha 49 

§  30.   The  Demigods  and  Heroes 49 

CHAPTER  V.  —  ATTRIBUTES  OF  THE  GODS  OF  HEAVEN.  51-73 
§  31.    Olympus;      Lines     from    Cowper's    Translation     of     the 

Odyssey 51 

§  32.   The  Great  Gods 52 

§  33.   Jupiter  (Zeus) 52 

§  34.    Juno  (Hera) 54 

§  35.    Minerva  (Athene) 56 

§  36.   Mars  (Ares) 57 

§  37.   Vulcan  (Hephaestus) 58 

§  38.    Phoebus  Apollo;   Shelley's  Hymn  of  Apollo 59 

§  39.   Diana  (Artemis) ;   Ben  Jensen's  Hymn  te  Diana 63 

§  40.    Venus     ( Aphrodite )  ;      Extract     from     Sill's    Venus     of 

Milo 65 

§  41.    Mercury  (Hermes) 68 

§  42.   Vesta  (Hestia) 69 

§  43.    I-esser  Divinities  of  Heaven:    Gosse's  Eros 70 

Lines  by  Spenser 71 


CONTENTS.  xni 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  VI.— ATTRIBUTES  OF  THE  GODS  OF  EARTH.  74-77 

§  44.   Conception  of  the  World 74 

§  45.   Ceres  (Demeter) 75 

(a)  Gara,  Rhea,  Cybele 76 

§  46.   Bacchus,  or  Dionysus;   Extract  from  Dryden's  Alexander's 

Feast 76 

§  47.   The  Lesser  Divinities  of  Earth 77 

CHAPTER   VII.  —  ATTRIBUTES    OF    THE    GODS    OF    THE 

UNDERWORLD 78-84 

§  48.   The    Underworld;    Lines    from    Swinburne's    Garden    of 

Proserpine  and  Lang's  Fortunate  Islands 78 

§  49.    Pluto  (Hades) 83 

§  50.    Proserpina  (Persephone) 83 

§  51.   The  Lesser  Divinities  of  the  Underworld 83 

CHAPTER  VIII.  — ATTRIBUTES    OF    THE   GODS    OF    THE 

WATERS 85-87 

§  52.   The  Older  Dynasty  of  the  Waters 85 

§  53.   The  Younger  Dynasty 85 

§  54.   Lesser    Divinities   of   the   Waters;     Wordsworth's   "The 

World  is  too  much  with  us " 86 

CHAPTER  IX.  —  THE  ROMAN  DIVINITIES 88-90 

§  55.   Gods  Common  to  Greece  and  Italy S& 

§56.   Italian  Gods;   Lines  from  Macaulay's  Prophecy  of  Capys. .  88 

CHAPTER   X.— MYTHS   OF  THE  GREAT   DIVINITIES   OF 

HE.WEN 91-173 

§  57.  Myths  of  Jupiter  and  Juno 91 

§  58.   Love  Affairs  of  Jupiter 91 

§  59.    To;   Extract  from-  Keats'  "  I  stood  tiptoe  upon  a  little  hill ".  92 

§  60.   Callisto 94 

§  61.    Europa;    Extracts  from  Lang's  Translation   of  Moschus, 

Idyl  II 95 

§  62.    Semele;   Lines  from  Sill's  Semele 98 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

§  63.   Njgiva. 100 

§  64.   Antiope;  Lines  from  Tennyson's  Amphion 102 

§  65.   Jupiter,  a  friend  of  man  (Baucis  and  Philemon);    Lines 

from  Swift's  Baucis  and  Philemon 105 

§  66.   Juno's  Best  Gift;   Lines  from  Gosse's  Sons  of  Cydippe. . . .  108 
§  67.   Myths  of  Minerva :  The  Contest  with  Neptune;  Arachne; 

Extract  from  Spenser's  Muiopotmos 109 

§  68.   Myths  of  Mars  :  Mars  and  Diomede;   Extract  from  I^ng, 

Leaf  &  Myers'  Iliad 112 

§  69.    Mars  and   Minerva;    Extract   from  Lang,  Leaf  &  Myers' 

Iliad 113 

§  70.    Mars  and  Mortals;  The  Fortunes  of  Cadmus 1 14 

§71.   Myths  of  Vulcan , 117 

§  72.   Myths  of  Apollo :  The  Wanderings  of  Latona 118 

§  73.   Apollo,  the  Light  Triumphant 119 

§  74.    Hyacinthus 120 

§  75.   Phaeton 121 

§  76.   The  Plague  sent  upon  the  Greeks  before  Troy;    Extract 

from  Lang,  Leaf  &  Myers'  Iliad 1 25 

§77.   The  Punishment  of  Niobe;   Lines  from  Landor's  Niobe. . .  126 

§  78.  The  Lamentation  of  Linus 129 

§  79.   iEsculapius 130 

§  80.   Apollo  in  Exile ;   Lowell's  Shepherd  of  King  Admetus 1 30 

§  81.   Admetus  and  Alcestis;    Extracts  from  Browning's  Balaus- 

tion's  Adventure 132 

§  82.   Apollo,  the  Musician 136 

§  83.   Apollo,  Pan,  and  Midas;   Shelley's  Hymn  of  Pan 136 

§  84.  The  Loves  of  Apollo 138 

§  85.   Daphne;  Lines  from  Lowell's  Fable  for  Critics 138 

§  86.   Gytie;   Lines  by  Thomas  Moore 141 

§  87.  Myths  of  Diana 141 

§  88.   The  Flight  of  Arethusa;   Shelley's  Arethusa 142 

§«9.  The  Fate  of  Acteon   I45 

§  90.   The  Fortunes  and  Death  of  Orion 146 


CONTENTS.  XV 

PAGE 

§    91.   The  Pleiads 147 

§    92.    Endymion;   Lines  from  Keats'  Endymion,  Bk.  Ill 149 

§    93,   Myths  of  Venus:  Adonis;  Lang's  Translation  of  Bion's 

Lament 1 50 

§    94.   Cupid  and  Psyche;   Lines  from  William  Morris'  Earthly 

Paradise,  and  from  T.  K.  Harvey ;  Keats'  Ode  to  Psyche.  152 

§    95.   Atalanta's  Race;    Lines  from  Landor's  Hippomenes  and 

Atalanta 162 

§    96.    Hero  and  Leander;    Extracts  from  Marlowe's  Hero  and 

Leander;   Keats'  On  a  Picture  of  Leander 164 

§  97-  Pygmalion  and  the  Statue;  Extracts  from  Lang's  New 
Pygmalion,  and  from  William  Morris'  Earthly  Para- 
dise    167 

§    98.    Pyramus  and  Thisbe 1 70 

§    99.    Phaon 171 

§  100.   The  Vengeance  of  Venus 1 72 

§  loi.  Homer's  Hymn  to  Mercury 172 

CHAPTER  XL  — MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINFTIES  OF 

EARTH 174-180 

§  102.   Myths  of  Bacchus  :  The  Wanderings  of  Bacchus;  Lines 

by  Longfellow 1 74 

§  103.   The   Story  of  Acetes;    Lines   from  Gosse's   Praise    of 

Dionysus 176 

§  104.  The  Choice  of  King  Midas 179 

CHAPTER  XH.  — FROM   THE    EARTH    TO  THE    UNDER- 
WORLD     181-188 

§  105.  Myths  of  Ceres,  Pluto,  and  Proserpine :  The  Rape 

of  Proserpine 181 

§  106.  Triptolemus   and   the   Eleusinian    Mysteries;    Shelley's 

Song  of  Proserpine 184 

§  107.  Orpheus  and  Eurydice;  Lines  from  Landor's  Orpheus 
and  Eurydice,  in  Dry  Sticks,  and  from  Southey's  Thai- 
aba 185 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIII.  — M\THS  OF  NEPTUNE,  RULER  OF  THE 

WATERS 189-191 

§  108.   Neptune :  Of  the  Sea i8g 

§  109.   Of  the  Streams  and  Fountains 190 

§  1 10.    Pelops  and  Hippodamia 190 

CHAPTER   XIV.  — MYTHS   OF  THE    LESSER    DIVINITIES 

OF   HEAVEN 192-199 

§  1 1 1.  Myths  of  Stars  and  Winds 192 

§  112.    Cephalus  and  Procris;   Lang's  The  Death  of  Procris  . . .  192 

§  1 13.   Ceyx  and  Halcyone 194 

§  114.    Aurora  and  Tithonus;  Lines  from  Tennyson's  Tithonus  .  196 

§  115.    Memnon;   Lines  from  Darwin's  Botanic  Garden 199 

CHAPTER   XV.  — MYTHS    OF    THE    LESSER    DIVINITIES 

OF   EARTH,  AND  THE   UNDERWORLD 200-214 

§  116.  Pan,  and  the  Personification  of  Nature;  Lines  from 
Milton's  Hymn  to  the  Nativity;  and  from  Mrs.  Brown- 
ing's Dead  Pan ;   Stedman's  Pan  in  Wall  Street 200 

§  117.  Other  Lesser  Gods  of  Earth :  Satyrs,  etc.;  Lines  from 

Buchanan's   Satyr 204 

§  1 1 8.    Echo  and  Narcissus 206 

§  119.    Echo,  Pan,  Lyde,  and  the  Satyr;   Lang's  Translation  of 

Moschus,  Idyl  VI 207 

§  120.   The  Naiads;    Lines  from  Buchanan's  Naiad 207 

§  121.   The  Dryads,  or  Hamadryads ...    208 

§122.   Dryope 210 

§  123.    Rhoecus;   Extracts  from  Lowell's  Rhoecus 210 

§  124.    Pomona  and  Vertumnus ;  Lines  from  Thomson's  Seasons .  212 

§  125.   The  Underworld :  The  Cranes  of  Ibycus 213 

CHAPTER   XVI.  — MYTHS    OF  THE   LESSER    DIVINITIES 

OF   THE    WATERS 215-222 

§  126.   Dwellers  in  the  Sea:  Galatea  and  Polyphemus;  Lang's 

Theocritus,  Idyl  VI 215 


CONTENTS.  xvii 

PAGE 

§  127.    Glaucus  and  Scylla;   Extract  from  Keats'  Endymion. . . .  217 

§  128.   Nisus  and  Scylla 219 

§  129.    Leucothea 219 

§  130.    Proteus  and  Arista;us 220 

§  131.  Dwellers  in  the  Streams:  Achelous;  Lines  from  Mil- 
ton's Comus 221 

CHAPTER   XVII.  — MYTHS  OF  THE  OLDER  HEROES....   223-243 

§  132.    The  Older  and  the  Younger  Heroes 223 

§  133.   The  Genealogy  of  Danaiis :  The  Danaids 224 

§  1 34.   The  Doom  of  King  Acrisius 225 

§  135.    Perseus   and    Medusa;    Extracts   from  William    Morris' 

Earthly  Paradise;   Shelley's  Medusa 225 

§  136.    Perseus  and  Atlas 227 

§  137.  Perseus  and  Andromeda;  Lines  from  Milton's  II  Pen- 
serosa  and  Comus,  Kingsley's  Andromeda,  and  Mil- 
man's  Samor 228 

§  138.    Bellerophon  and  the  Chimcera 231 

§  139.    Hercules :  Youth  and  Labors 234 

§  140.    His  Later  Exploits 239 

§  141.   The  Loss  of  Hylas;   Lang's  Theocritus,  Idyl  XIII 239 

§  142.   The  Expedition  against  Laomedon 240 

§  143.   The  Death  of  Hercules;  Lines  from  Milton  and  from 

S.  G.  Bulfinch's  Schiller's  Ideal  and  Life 241 

CHAPTER   XVIII.— THE   FAMILY  OF  vEOLUS 244-249 

§  144.   The  Descendants  of  Deucalion 244 

§  145.   The  Quest  of  the  Golden   Fleece;    Lines  from   Dyer's 

Fleece 244 

§  146.    Medea  and  M&on 247 

§  147.    Pelias;   Lines  from  Shakespeare's  Macbeth 248 

CHAPTER   XIX.— THE   FAMILY  OF   iETOLUS 250-254 

§148.   The  Calydonian  Hunt;    Extracts  from  Swinburne's  Ata- 

lanta  in  Calydon 250 


XVIU  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XX.  —THE   HOUSE  OF   MINOS 255-257 

§  149.    Minos  of  Crete 255 

§  150.    Daedalus  and  Icarus;   Lines  by  Darwin 256 

CHAPTER  XXL  — THE  DESCENDANTS  OF  CECROPS  AND 

ERICHTHONIUS 258-268 

§  151.   Cecrops  and  Erichthonius ;    Matthew  Arnold's  Philo- 
mela    258 

§  152.   Theseus 259 

§  153.    Theseus  and   Ariadne;    Hexameter  translation   of   the 

Peleus  and  Thetis  of  Catullus 260 

§  154.    Bacchus   and  Ariadne;    Hexameter  translation    of  the 

Peleus  and  Thetis 265 

§  1 55.   The  Amazons 267 

§  156.    Theseus  and  Pirithoiis 267 

§  157.    Phaedra  and  Hippolytus 268 

CHAPTER  XXII.— THE  HOUSE  OF   LABDACUS 269-272 

§  158.    The  Misfortunes  of  Thebes 269 

§  159.    QEdipus  and  the  Sphinx 269 

§  160.   Oedipus,  the  King;    Lines  from  Plumptre's  Sophocles' 

CEd.  King 270 

§  161.    CEdipus  at  Colonus;    Lines  from  Plumptre's  Sophocles* 

CEd.  Colon 271 

CHAPTER  XXIIL  — M\THS  OF  THE  YOUNGER  HEROES  273-276 

§  162.   Their  Exploits 273 

§  163.   The  Seven  against  Thebes 273 

§  164.    Antigone;   Lines  from  Plumptre's  Sophocles'  Antigone.  274 

(a)  The  Epigoni ... 276 

CHAPTER   XXIV.  — HOUSES   CONCERNED   IN   THE  TRO- 
JAN WAR 277-283 

§  165.   Three  Houses  Concerned 277 

(a)   Peleus;    Hexameter  translation  of  the  Peleus  and 
Thetis  of  Catullus 277 


CONTENTS.  XJX 

PAGE 

(^)  Atreus 281 

(f)  Tyndareus 281 

§  166.    Castor  and   Pollux;    Lines  from    Macaulay's   Battle   of 

Lake  Regillus 281 

CHAPTER   XXV.  —  THE  TROJAN  WAR 284-302 

§  167.    Its  Origin;    Iphigenia  in  Aulis;   Protesilaiis  and  Laoda- 
niia;  Extracts  from  Tennyson's  Dream  of  Fair  Women, 

and  from  Wordsworth's  Laodamia 284,  285 

§  168.    Homer's  Iliad;   Lines  from  Cowper's  and  Pope's  Trans- 
lations of  the  Iliad 290 

CHAPTER  XXVI.  —THE  FALL  OF  TROY 303-312 

§  1 69.    The  Fall  of  Troy 303 

§  170.   The  Survivors;   Lines  from  Dyer's  Fleece,  and  Milton's 

Comus 308 

CHAPTER   XXVII.— THE  WANDERINGS   OF   ULYSSES...  313-337 
§  171.    From  Troy  to  Phaeacia;    Lines  from  Tennyson's  Lotus 
Eaters,  Dobson's  Prayer  of  the  Swine  to  Circe,  and 

Cowper's  Odyssey 313 

§  172.    The  Land  of  the  Phicacians;   Lang's  Song  of  Phaeacia.  323 

§  173.    Fate  of  the  Suitors  of  Penelope;   Extracts  from  Cowper's 

Odyssey;  Tennyson's  Ulysses 330 

CHAPTER   XXVIIL  — ADVENTURES  OF  ^NEAS 338-353 

§  1 74.    From  Troy  to  Italy 338 

§175.   The  Infernal  Regions 345 

CHAPTER   XXIX.— THE  WAR   BETWEEN  TROJANS  AND 

LATINS 354-365 

§  176.   The  Prophecy  Fulfilled 354 

CHAPTER  XXX.  — M\THS  OF  THE  NORSE  GODS 366-391 

§  1 77.   The  Creation 366 

§  1 78.  Odin  and  his  Valhalla 367 

§  1 79.    The  Other  Gods 369 


XX  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

§  i8o.   The  Deeds  of  Thor 371 

§  181.    The  Sword  of  Freyr 379 

§  182.   The  Death  of  Balder;   Extracts  from  Matthew  Arnold's 

Balder  Dead 380 

§  183.    The  Elves 387 

§  184.    Ragnarok,  the   Twilight   of  the   Gods;    Extracts   from 

Arnold's  Balder  Dead 388 

CHAPTER    XXXI.  — MYTHS   OF  NORSE  AND   OLD   GER- 
MAN  HEROES 392-403 

§  185.   The  Saga  of  the  Volsungs;    Extracts  from  William 

Morris'  Sigurd  the  Volsung 392 

§  186.   The  Lay  of  the  Nibelungs ;  Extracts  from  Lettsom's  & 

Carlyle's  Translations 400 

COMMENTARY:   Textual,  Interpretative,  Illustrative 406-491 

PRINCIPAL  GENEALOGICAL  TABLES  IN  COMMENTARY. 

\Sections  corresponding  to  those  of  the  text.] 

A.  The  Great  Gods  of  Olympus,  §  31 414 

B.  The  Family  of  Night,  §  51 432 

C.  The  Divinities  of  the  Sea,  §§  52-54 433 

D.  The  Race  of  Inachus,  and  its  Branches,  §  59 435 

E.  The  Descendants  of  Agenor,  §  61 436 

F.  The  Dynasty  of  Tantalus  and  its  Connections,  §  77 444 

G.  The  Connections  of  Atalanta  the  Boeotian,  §  95 453 

H.   The  Ancient  Race  of  Luminaries  and  Winds,  §  113 461 

I.  The  Race  of  Japetus,  Deucalion,  Hellen,  and  Atlas, 

§  132  (5) 465-466 

J.   The  House  of  Danaiis,  §  133 468 

K.   The  Descendants  of  ^tolus,  §  148 475 

L.   The  Descendants  of  Minos  I 475 

M.   The  Descendants  of  Erichthonius 476 

N.    The  Royal  Family  of  Thebes 479 


CONTENTS.  XXI 

PAGE 

O.  Houses  Concerned  in  the  Trojan  War : 

(i)  The  Family  of  Peleus,  (2)  The  Family  of  Atreus,  (3)  The 
Family  of  Tyndareus,  (4)  The  Descent  of  Ulysses  and 
Penelope,  (5)  The  Royal  Family  of  Troy 480, 481 

RULES    FOR    THE    PRONUNCIATION    OF    GREEK    AND 

LATIN    NAMES 493 

INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL  SUBJECTS  AND  SOURCES. 

INDEX   OF   MODERN   AUTHORS  AND  ARTISTS. 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS.^ 


FIG.  PAGE 

1.  Jupiter  surveying  the  World.     [Wall  painting:  II.  and P.i^Hercu- 

laneum  and  Pompet)  by  H.  Roux  Aine.] 37 

2.  Minerva  contending  with  a  Giant.     [Bronze :   Mus.  Kircherianum. 

yournal  of  Hellenic  Studies,  4  :  90;   Roscher  10  :  1666.] 41 

3.  Jupiter  destroying  the  Giants.     [Gem  :  Baumeister.'\ 42 

4.  Two  of  the  Hours.     [Vase:    Compte  R^ndu  de  St.  Petersbourg,  1862, 

Table  4;   Roscher  16  and  17  :  2727.] 51 

5.  Jupiter  Enthroned.     [Wall  painting :  N.  and  /".] 54 

6.  Bust  of  Juno.     [Villa  Ludovisi,  Rome:   Overbeck,  Atlas  9:8;   Ros- 

cher 13  :  2123.] 55 

7.  Minerva  (Pallas).     [Ancient  MS.  of  Homer:  Inghirami.'\ 56 

8.  Minerva  (Athene  of  Velletri).     [Statue  from  Velletri,  in  the  Louvre : 

Roscher  4  :  702.  ] 56 

9.  Mars  (Ares  Ludovisi).    [Marble  statue  in  the  Villa  Ludovisi,  Rome: 

Roscher  3  :  49I-] • 57 

10.    Vulcan.     [Bronze  statuette  of  Hephaestus,  Berlin :  Ilirt,  Bilderbuch 

6:2;   Roscher  1 2  :  2044.] 59 

1  Allen  and  Greenough,  from  whose  Ovid  and  Vergil  illustrations  not  assigned 
to  Roscher  have  been  taken,  give  the  following  list  of  Authorities :  Archaologische 
Zeitung,  Berlin  ;  Baumeister,  Denkmaler  des  Klassichen  Alterthums,  Munich  ;  De 
Clarac,  Musee  de  Sculpture ;  Guhl  &  Koner,  Das  I^eben  d.  Griechen  und  Romer ; 
Hirt.  A.,  Bilderbuch  fiir  Mythologie,  Archaologie,  und  Kunst,  Berlin,  1805  :  H.  Roux 
Ain6,  Herculaneum  et  Pompei,  Paris  :  1840;  Inghirami,  Galeria  Omerica;  BoUetino 
dell"  Instutito  di  Corrispondenza  Archeologica,  Rome  ;  Millin,  A.  L.,  Mythologische 
Gallerie,  Berlin,  1848;  Miiller,  C.  O.,  Denkmaler  der  Alten  Kunst,  Gottingen,  1832; 
Overbeck,  J.,  Griechische  Kunst  -  Mythologie,  Leipzig:  1873-78;  Pietro  Sante 
Bartoli,  Gli  Antichi  Sepolcri,  Rome:  1727;  Roscher,  W.  H.  Ausfiihrliches  Lexicon 
der  griechischen  und  romischen  Mythologie,  Leipzig :  1884-. 
xxii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxiii 

FIG.  PAGE 

1 1 .  Apollo  of  the  Belvedere.      [Supplemented  by  the  I^JgA :    Roscher 

3:438-] 60 

12.  Apollo.     [In  the  Museum  of  Basle :  Roscher  3  :  465.] 62 

13.  Diana  (Artemis  of  Versailles).     [Marble  statue  in  Lxjuvre :  Roscher 

4  :  603.] 63 

14.  Diana  (Artemis  Knagia).     [Silver  medallion   from   Herculaneum: 

Welcker,  Alte  Denkm'dler,  2  :  3,  5;   Roscher  4  :  566.] 65 

15.  Venus  of  Melos.     [Louvre,  Paris :  Roscher  3  :  403.] 67 

16.  Mercury  (Hermes,  with  petasus,caduceus,  and  winged  feet).    [Wall 

painting :   Baumeister.'\ 68 

17.  Mercury  conducting  Souls  to  Pluto  and  Proserpine.    [/^iW.] 69 

18.  Cupid.     [Statue :  Miiller.} 70 

19.  The  Ganymede  of  Leochares.     [Bronze  group :  Overbeck,  Gr.  Plas- 

Hk  2'-^,  Fig.  107;    Roscher  9  :  1597.] •• 71 

20.  Boreas.     [Relief:  Millin.'\ 72 

21.  Iris  carrying  a  Child.     [Vase  picture :  Roscher  20  :  351.] 73 

22.  Ceres.     [Wall  painting :  //.  and  /*.] 75 

23.  Bacchus  (Dionysus  and  Ampelos,  the  vine).      [Group  in  British 

Museum  :    Roscher  2  :  292.] 76 

24.  Youthful    Satyrs,    gathering     grapes    over     a     Crater.      [Relief: 

Afillin.~\ 77 

25.  Satyr,  with  grafting  materials.      [Ancient  gem  :   Pine^s  Vergil.'\  ....  77 

26.  Mercury  conducting  a  Soul  to  Charon.     [Terra-cotta  relief:  Arch. 

Zeit-I 78 

27.  A  Fury.     [From  a  vase  picture.     The  Erinys  in  garb  of  a  huntress 

pursues  Orestes :   Roscher  8  :  1334.] 81 

28.  Pluto  (Hades  enthroned;  Cerberus).     [Statue  in  Villa  Borghese: 

Baumeister  Denkm.,  620;   Roscher  1 1  :  1803.] ■  82 

29.  Nereid  on  a  sea-monster.     [Wall  painting :  Muller.'\ 85 

30.  Neptune  in  his  car.     [Coin  :  Hirt.'\ 86 

31.  Sirens.     [Engraved    relief:    Mittheilungen  d.  k.  deutsch.  archaol. 

Insliluts,  Athens.'] 87 

32.  Bearded  Janus.     [Roman  coin  :  Baumeister  gS^;   Roscher  iS:  ^o.]  89 

33.  Ganymede  feeding  the  eagle.      [Relief:   Sepolcri.~\ 91 


XXIV  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FIG.  PAGE 

34.  Mercury  kills  Argus  in  presence  of  Jupiter.     [Vase  picture  :   Roscher 

19  :  279-] 92 

35.  Europa  on  the  Bull.      [Vase  picture  :  Bauineister.'\ 94 

36.  Amphion  with  the  lyre,  and  Zethus.     [Relief  in  the  Palazzo  Spada: 

Roscher  2  :  31 1.] 103 

37.  Minerva's  contest  with  Neptune.     [Vase  picture  :  Baumeister .'\ .    .  109 

38.  Minerva.      [Statue :  MiUler.'\ 112 

39.  Mars  and  Venus.     [Wall  painting  :  H.  and  P.'] 1 14 

40.  Cadmus  slaying  the  Dragon.     [V^ase  picture:  Millin.']    116 

41.  Apollo,  and  Ilyacinthus  with  quoit.     [Marble  group,  Hope  Collec- 

tion.    Roscher  16,  17  :  2765.] 1 20 

42.  Apollo.     [Wall  painting :  //.  and  /".] 1 26 

43.  Niobe.      [Statue :  Muller.'\ 1 28 

44.  ^^isculapius.     [Statue :  Miiller.'\ 130 

45.  Apollo  playing  the  lyre  (Citharcedus) .     [Statue  in  the  Vatican: 

Roscher  3 :  463.] 137 

46.  Griffins  drawing  car  with  symbols  of  Apollo.     [Relief:  Hirt.'\  ....  141 

47.  Head  of  Arethusa.     [Coin :  Baumeister.'] 142 

48.  Voung  River-god.    [Bronze  head :  Baumeister;  Roscher^:  1489.]  143 

49.  Actason  torn  by  his  hounds.     [Relief:  Baumeister.] 146 

50.  Endymion.      [Relief  in  the   Capitoline  Museum,  Rome:    Roscher 

7  :  1 246.] 148 

51.  Celestial  Venus.     [Wall  painting :   //.  and  P.] 151 

52.  Diana.     [Wall  painting :  H.  and  P.]   162 

53.  Genius  with  torch.     [Wall  painting :  H.  and  P.] 166 

54.  Bacchus  and  Silenus.     [Wall  painting :  H.  and  P.] 1 74 

55.  Bacchic  dance  of  Satyrs  and   Bacchantes.      [Vase  picture:    Inst. 

Arch.] 175 

56.  A  Bacchante  in  frenzy.     [Marble  vase  :  Waelcken.] 177 

57.  Bacchic  procession.     [Vase  picture :  Arch.  Zeit.] 178 

58.  Silenus.     [Bronze  lamp :  //.  and  P.]    1 79 

59.  The  Rape  of  Proserpina.     [Relief:  Baumeister.]    ., 181 

60.  The  Return  of  Proserpina.     [Vase  picture:  Baumeister.]  .......  183 

61.  The  Departure  of  Triptolemus.     [Vase  picture:  Baumeister.]  ....  184 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTKATIONS.  xxv 

nC.  PAGE 

62.  Hymen.     [Wall  painting:  i?wfA^r  16,  17  :  2802.] 185 

63.  Tantalus,  Ixion,  and  Sisyphus.     [Relief:  Sepolcri.'\ 186 

64.  Mercury,  Eurydice,  and   Orpheus.      [Relief  in   the  Villa  Albani : 

Roscher  14  :  2407.]  187 

65.  Neptune  with  trident.     [Relief:  Muller.'] 189 

66.  Phosphor,  Eos  (Aurora),  and  the  Sun  rising  from  ocean.     [Vase 

picture :   Gerhard,  Akadem.  Abhandl.^ 192 

67.  The  God  of  Sleep.     [Relief:  Baumsisier.'\ 195 

68.  Dancing  Satyr.     [Pine's  Vergil.] 202 

69.  Young  Satyr.     [Wall  painting :  H.  and  P.'\ 205 

70.  71 .  Rustics  with  baskets.    [Ant.  d'Hercul. :  Thompson's  Horace.]  212,  213 

72.  Galatea    and    Polyphemus.       [Wall    painting,    Palatine :    Roscher 

9  ■■  1587] 216 

73.  Glaucus  and  Scylla.     [Wall  painting:  Roscher  10  :  1684.] 217 

74.  Scylla.     [Wall  painting :  //.  and  /».] 218 

75.  Sea-monsters.     [Wall  painting :  //.  and  P.'] 222 

76.  The  Danakls.     [  Relief  on  an  altar  in  the  Vatican :  Roscher  6  :  951.]  224 

77.  Medusa.    [Relief:  Muller.'\ 226 

78.  Perseus  with  the  Gorgon's  head.     [Vase  picture :   Gerhard,  Hera- 

kles  der  Satyr  und  Dreifussrauberi\ 227 

79.  Perseus  and  Andromeda.     [Relief  in  Capitoline  Museum:  Roscher 

2  :  346.] 230 

80.  Bellerophon  and  Pegasus.     [Relief:  Roscher  5  :  762.] 232 

81.  Battle  with  the  Amazons  before  Troy.      [Relief  on  sarcophagus: 

Roscher  2  :  279.] 236 

82.  Atlas  bearing  the  world.    [Statue :  MiiUer.'\ 237 

83.  Hercules  and  Cerberus.     [Vase  picture :  Muller. ~\ 238 

84.  P>-gmies  fighting  with  Cranes.      [Gem:   O.  JaJni's  Archaol.   Bei- 

trase.-\ 238 

85.  The  Apotheosis  of  Hercules.     [Vase  picture :  Baumeisler.'] 243 

86.  Jason  conquering  the  Bulls  and  seizing  the  Golden  Fleece.     [Re- 

lief on  sarcophagus :  Roscher  18  :  80.] 246 

87.  The  Calydonian  Hunt.     [Relief:  Baumeisler.'] 251 

88.  Dsedalus    and    Icarus.      [Relief  in  Villa    Albani,   Rome:    Roscher 

6:  934-] 256 


XXVI  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FIG.  PAGE 

89.  Theseus  and  the  Minotaur.    [Wall  painting:  II.  and  P.'] 261 

90.  The  Sleeping  Ariadne.    [Vatican :  Koscher  4  :  545.] 263 

91.  Head  of  Bacchus.     [In  Leyden  :  Roscher  7  :  1 128.] 265 

92.  Bacchus  finding  Ariadne.      [Wall  painting:  Muller.'\ 266 

93.  Venus  bringing  together  Paris  and  Helen.     [Relief  in  Naples: 

Roscher  1 2  :  1938.  ] 284 

94.  Achilles  taken  from  Scyros  by  Ulysses  and  Diomedes.      [Pompeian 

wall  painting :    Roscher  i  :  27.  J 286 

95.  The  Surrender  of  Briseis.    [Pomp,  wall  painting :  Roscher  t^  :  %20.'\  291 

96.  Hector  fighting  before  the  Ships.     [Gem:  Roscher  12  :  1921.]. . .  292 

97.  Ransom  of  Hector's  body.      [Relief:  De  Clarac.'] ....  301 

98.  Ajax  with  Achilles'  body.     [Roscher  i  :  126.] 303 

99.  Head  of  Paris.      [Bust :  Miinchener  Antiken  von  C.  F.  A.  von  Lilt- 

zow.'\ 305 

100.    Entry  of  the  Wooden  Horse;   Women  supplicating  Pallas;    Cas- 
sandra raving.     [Wall  painting :  H.  and  P.'\ 306 

loi.    Orestes  pursued  by  the  Furies.    [Vase  picture  :  Roscher  8  :  1331.]  .  311 

102.  Orestes  taking  refuge  at  Delphi :    Fury,  Apollo,  Orestes,  Tripod, 

Pallas.      [Vase  picture :  Miltin.  ] 311' 

103.  Sirens  and  Ulysses.     [Gem :  Millin.'] 321 

104.  Head  of  Minerva.     (Copy  of  Pallas  of  the  Parthenon.)     [Statue: 

IIirt.'\ 326 

105.  Penelope  at  the  loom.     [Vase  picture :  Batimeisier.'] 331 

106.  Ulysses  and  Euryclea.    [Relief:  Roscher  9  :  1423.] 334 

107.  ^neas,  Anchises,  and  lulus.     [Gem  :  Mus.  Flor.] 338 

108.  Scylla.     [Carved  end  of  table :   Chefs  if  CEuvres  de  PAri  Antique, 

Paris,  1867.] 341 

109.  Charon  receiving  a  passenger  and  his  fare.     [Relief:   Sepolcri.~\  . .  346 

1 10.  Amazon.     [Guhl  &  Koner.] 356 


LIST    OF    MAPS. 

NO.  PAGE 

1.  Greece  and  the  Greek  Colonies 37 

2.  Greece  in  the  Fifth  Century 91 

3.  Greece  below  THERMOPVLi^ 223 

4.  Orbis  Terrarum  ex  Sententia  Homeri 277 

5.  Troas  et  Hellespontus 277 

6.  Gladstone's  Map  of  the  Outer  Geography  of  the  Odyssey..  313 

7.  Italy  before  the  Growth  of  Rome 338 

xxvii 


INTRODUCTION. 

THE  STUDY  OF  MYTHOLOGY  IN  CONNECTION  WITH  ENGLISH 

POETRY. 

Our  American  educational  methods  too  frequently  seek  to  pro- 
duce the  effect  of  polish  upon  a  kind  of  sandstone  information 
that  will  not  stand  polishing.  With  such  fatuity  many  of  our 
teachers  in  the  secondary  schools  exercise  their  pupils  in  the 
study  of  English  masterpieces  and  in  the  critical  estimate  of  aes- 
thetic qualities  before  acquainting  them  with  the  commonplace 
facts  and  fables  that,  transmitted  through  generations,  are  the 
material  of  much  of  our  poetry  because  the  material  of  daily  con- 
verse, imagination,  and  thought.  These  commonplaces  of  tradi- 
tion are  to  be  found  largely  in  the  literature  of  mythology.  Of 
course  the  evil  would  be  neither  so  widespread  nor  so  dangerous 
if  more  of  the  guardians  and  instructors  of  our  youth  were 
at  home  even  among  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics.  But  for 
various  reasons,  —  some  valid,  as,  for  instance,  the  importance  of 
increased  attention  to  the  modem  languages  and  the  natural 
sciences ;  others  worthless,  as  the  so-called  utilitarian  protest, 
against  the  cultivation  of  "  dead"  languages,  —  for  various  reasons 
the  study  of  the  Classics  is  at  present  considerably  impaired.  It 
is,  therefore,  incumbent  upon  our  universities  and  schools,  recog- 
nizing this  fact  and  deploring  it,  to  abate,  so  far  as  possible, 
the  unfortunate  consequences  that  proceed  therefrom,  until,  by 
a  readjustment  of  subjects  of  instruction  and  of  the  periods 
allotted  them,  the  Greek  and  Latin  classics  shall  be  reinstated  in 
their  proper  place  as  a  means  of  discipline,  a  humanizing  influ- 
ence, the  historic  background  against  which  our  present  appears. 
For,  cut   off  from    the   intellectual   and  imaginative   sources   of 


XXX  INTRODUCTION. 

Greece  and  Rome,  the  state  and  statesmanship,  legislation  and 
law,  society  and  manners,  philosophy,  religion,  literature,  art,  and 
even  artistic  appreciation,  run  readily  shallow  and  soon  dry. 

Now,  one  evident  means  of  tempering  the  consequence  of  this 
neglect  of  the  Classics  is  the  study  of  them  through  translations 
and  summaries.  Such  second-hand  study  must,  indeed,  be  ever 
a  makeshift ;  for  the  Hterature  of  a  people  inheres  in  its  language, 
and  loses  its  seeming  and  often  its  characteristic  when  caparisoned 
in  the  trappings  of  another  speech,  —  an  utterance  totally  dis- 
similar,—  the  outcome  of  diverse  conditions  of  physical  environ- 
ment, history,  social  and  intellectual  tradition.  But  in  dealing  with 
the  purely  imaginative  products  of  antiquity,  the  difficulty  of  the 
translation  may  be  moderated  if  those  products  be  reproduced,  so 
far  as  possible,  not  in  the  prosaic  but  in  the  poetic  atmosphere, 
and  in  the  imaginative  garb  of  modern  art.  For  though  the 
phenomena  of  plastic  art  are  not  the  same  in  one  continent  as  in 
another,  or  from  one  century  to  the  next,  and  though  the  fashion 
of  poetry  itself  varies  from  age  to  age  and  from  clime  to  clime, 
the  genesis  of  imagination  is  universal,  its  products  are  akin, 
and  its  process  is  continuous.  For  this  reason  the  study  of  the 
imaginative  thought  of  the  ancients  through  the  artistic  creations 
of  the  moderns  is  commended  to  students  and  readers  as  feasible 
and  profitable. 

The  benefits  to  be  derived  from  such  a  study  of  the  Classic 
Myths  are  general  and  specific. 

I.  In  general,  and  in  the  first  place,  classic  mythology  has  been 
for  poetry  a  treasure-house  replete  with  golden  tales  and  glimmer- 
ing thoughts,  passions  in  the  rough  and  smooth,  and  fancies  rich 
bejewelled.  Like  Vergil's  Shadows  that  flit  by  the  Lethean 
stream  until  at  beck  of  Fate  they  revisit  upper  day  and  the  ever- 
tranquil  stars,  these  ghosts  of  "  far-off  things  and  battles  long 
ago,"  peopling  the  murmurous  glades  of  myth,  await  the  poet 
who  shall  bestow  on  each  his  new  and  predetermined  form,  and 
restore  them,  purified  and  brea»^hing  of  Elysian  air,  to  the  world 
of  life  and  art  and  ever-young  mankind. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxi 

For  the  reader  the  study  of  mythology  does,  in  this  respect,  as 
much  as  for  the  poet.  It  assists  him  to  thrid  the  labyrinth  of  art : 
not  merely  with  the  clue  of  tradition,  but  with  a  thread  of  surer 
knowledge  whose  surest  strand  is  sympathy.  The  study  has 
led  men  soberly  to  trace  the  progress  of  their  kind  from  the 
twilight  of  gray  conjecture  to  the  dawn  of  spiritual  conviction 
and  rational  individuality ;  to  discern  an  onward  continuity  of 
thought,  an  outward  reach  of  imagination,  an  upward  lift  of 
moral  and  religious  ideas ;  to  confess  the  brotherhood  of  human- 
ity and  the  fatherhood  of  One  whose  purposes  hold  good  for 
every  race,  and  through  all  time.  And,  so,  the  knowledge  of  mythic 
lore  has  led  men  broadly  to  appreciate  the  motives  and  condi- 
tions of  ancient  art  and  literature,  and  the  uniform  and  ordered 
evolution  of  the  aesthetic  sense. 

Beside  enriching  us  with  heirlooms  of  fiction,  and  pointing  us 
to  the  sources  of  imaginative  joy  from  which  the  forefathers  of 
Hellenic  verse,  or  Norse,  or  English,  drank,  the  classic  myths 
quicken  our  imaginative  and  emotional  faculties  in  no  inap- 
preciable degree.  How  many  a  man  held  by  the  sorrows  of 
the  Labdacidae  or  the  love  of  Alcestis,  by  some  curious  won- 
der in'Pausanias,  or  some  woe  in  Hyginus,  has  waked  to  the 
consciousness  of  artistic  fancy  and  creative  force  within  him- 
self! How  many,  indifferent  to  the  well-known  round,  the 
trivial  task,  the  nearest  care  of  home,  have  read  the  Farewell  to 
Andromache  and  lived  a  new  sympathy,  an  unselfish  thrill,  a 
purified  delight  !  And  not  only  as  an  impulse  toward  artistic 
output,  or  patriotic  devotion,  or  domestic  altruism,  but  as  a 
restraining  influence,  a  chastener  of  aesthetic  excess,  a  moderator 
of  the  '  unchartered  freedom '  that  knows  no  mean  between 
idolatry  and  loathing,  of  the  foolish  frenzy  that  affects  new  things, 
abnormal  and  sensational,  in  literature,  music,  and  the  plastic 
arts,  —  as  such  a  tutor  and  governor  is  the  study  of  beautiful 
myths  invaluable.  Long  familiarity  with  the  sweet  simplicity,  the 
orderly  restraint,  the  severe  regard,  the  filial  awe  that  pervade  the 
myths  of  Greece  and  Rome,  —  or  with  the  newness  of  life  and 


xxxu  INTRODUCTION. 

fulness  and  wonder  of  it,  the  naivete  and  the  romance,  of  Eddie 
lore,  —  cannot  but  graciously  temper  our  modern  estimate  of 
artistic  worth. 

Furthermore,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  myths  of  the 
ancients,  as  the  earliest  literary  crystallization  of  social  order  and 
religious  fear,  record  the  incipient  history  of  religious  ideals  and 
of  moral  conduct.  For  though  ethnologists  may  insist  that  to 
search  for  truth  ///  mythology  is  vain,  the  best  of  them  will  grant 
that  to  search  for  truth  through  mythology  is  wise  and  profitable. 
If  we  accept  the  statement  (often  stretched  beyond  its  proper 
Umit)  that  mythology  is  primitive  philosophy,  and  the  other  state- 
ment that  an  ancient  philosophy  never  dies,  but  by  process  of 
internal  growth,  of  modification,  and  of  accretion  acquires  a 
purer  spirit  and  a  new  and  higher  form,  —  then,  since  truth  was 
never  yet  conceived  of  error  {ex  nihilo  nihil  fif),  the  truth  now 
recognized,  while  it  did  not  exist  in  that  fraction  of  myth  which 
happens  to  be  irrational,  existed  as  an  archetypal  impulse  :  set  the 
myth  in  motion ;  and,  as  a  process  refining  the  mind  of  man, 
tended  steadily  to  eUminate  from  primitive  philosophy  —  that  is, 
from  the  myths  that  embodied  primitive  philosophy  —  the  savage, 
ephemeral,  and  irrational  element.  For  all  myths  spriflg  from 
the  universal  and  inalienable  desire  to  know,  to  enjoy,  to  teach. 
These  impulses  of  knowledge,  of  imaginative  relaxation,  of  con- 
duct, are  the  throbbing  of  the  heart  of  reason ;  the  first  or  the 
second  is  the  primal  pulse  of  every  myth  ;  and  to  the  life  of  every 
myth  each  impulse  may  be,  at  some  period,  contributory. 

Let  us,  by  way  of  example,  consider  the  stages  of  mythologic 
philosophy  described  by  Professor  J.  W.  Powell  in  his  First  Annual 
Report  of  the  Bureau  of  Ethnology.^  We  do  not  find  the  truth  free 
from  dross  in  what  he  calls  the  lowest  stage,  hecastotheism,  where 
everything  is  endowed  "with  life  :  with  personality,  will,  and  design 
.  .  .  where  everything  discovered  by  the  senses  is  looked  upon 

1  Report  of  the  Director  of  the  Bureau  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution,  Washington,  D.C.,  1879-80,  pp.  29-33.  I  have,  merely  for  the 
sake  of  condensation,  occasionally  adapted  a  sentence. 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxiii 

subjectively  by  the  philosopher,  and  endowed  with  all  the  attributes 
supposed  to  be  inherent  in  himself;  where  everything  is  a  god." 
Nor  do  we  discover  the  truth  unalloyed  in  zootheistn,  in  which 
"  men  no  longer  attribute  life  indiscriminately  to  inanimate  things ; 
where  the  same  powers  and  attributes  recognized  by  subjective 
vision  in  man  are  attributed  to  the  animals  by  which  he  is  sur- 
rounded ;  .  .  .  where  man  worships  beasts,  and  the  phenomena 
of  nature  are  the  doings  of  animal  gods."  Nor  do  we  hold  truth 
undebased  in  the  third  stage,  physitheism ;  where  "  animal  gods 
are  dethroned  ;  the  powers  and  phenomena  of  nature  are  personi- 
fied and  deified,  and  the  gods  are  strictly  anthropomorphic,  hav- 
ing the  form  as  well  as  the  mental,  moral,  and  social  attributes  of 
men."  In  these  deities  of  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  dawn,  we 
'do  not  yet  know  the  pure,  the  genuine  truth.  Nor  do  we  recog- 
nize it  'vs\  psychotheism,  a  still  higher  plane  of  mythologic  philoso- 
phy, where  "  mental,  moral,  and  social  characteristics  are  personified 
and  deified,"  .  .  .  and  gods  of  war,  of  love,  of  revelry,  of  wisdom, 
and  of  youth,  "  preside  over  the  institutions  and  occupations  of 
mankind."  In  none  of  these  presumptive  stages  of  mythologic 
philosophy  do  we  discover  the  truth  without  admixture ;  no  later 
stage  is  without  trace  of  earlier  creed  ;  but  in  every  stage  a  power 
is  manifest  making  for  righteousness,  a  love  yearning  for  sympathy 
divine,  a  moral  sense  striving  through  humanized  nature  and 
spiritualized  man,  through  pantheism  and  monotheism  to  the  Spirit 
in  whom  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being,  —  who  lives  and 
moves  through  all. 

2.  The  benefits  accruing  from  the  consideration  of  mythology, 
and  particularly  of  the  classic  myths,  are  not  only  general,  but 
specific.  For,  the  study,  when  illustrated  by  masterpieces  of  litera- 
ture and  art,  should  lead  to  the  appreciation  of  concrete  artistic 
productions  of  both  these  kinds. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  a  rational  series  of  somewhat 
consecutive  stories  is  more  serviceable  to  the  reader  than  a 
congeries  of  data  acquired  by  spasmodic  consultation  of  the  Clas- 
sical Dictionary,  —  a  mass  of  information  bolted,  as  it  were,  but 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION. 

by  no  means  digested.  When,  however,  these  stories  are  treated 
in  genealogical  and  realistic  sequence  and  are  illustrated  by  lyric, 
narrative,  and  descriptive  passages  of  modem  literature,  there  is 
furnished  not  only  that  material  of  allusion  and  reference  for 
which  the  student  nowadays  trusts  to  meagre  and  disjointed  text- 
book notes,  but  a  potentiality  that  should  render  the  general 
reading  of  belles  lettres  more  profitable.  For,  a  previous  ac- 
quaintance with  the  material  of  literary  tradition  heightens  the 
appreciation  of  each  allusive  passage  as  it  is  encountered ;  it 
enables  the  reader  to  sympathize  with  the  mood  and  to  enter 
into  the  purpose  of  the  poet,  the  essayist,  the  novelist,  the  orator ; 
it  expands  the  intellectual  lungs  for  the  atmosphere  breathed  by 
the  artist,  at  any  rate  for  a  literary  and  social  atmosphere  less 
asthmatic  than  that  to  which  so  many  of  us  are  unconsciously 
habituated.  Of  course,  all  this  advantage  would  far  better  result 
from  the  first-hand  nutriment  and  discipline  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics ;  of  course,  direct  familiarity  with  the  writers  of 
Greece  and  Rome  is  the  sine  qua  non  of  level-headed  criticism 
and  broad  evaluation  of  modern  literature ;  and,  of  course,  a 
sympathy  with  the  imaginings  of  old  is  the  best  incentive  to  an 
aesthetic  estimate  not  only  of  art,  but  of  nature  to-day ;  but  if  our 
American  pupils  and  many  of  their  teachers  cannot  quaff  Massic 
and  Falemian,  they  do  well  to  scent  the  bouquet.  In  time,  a 
sense  of  flavor  may,  perchance,  be  stimulated,  and,  ultimately, 
a  desire  for  nearer  acquaintance  with  the  literatures  that  we 
inherit. 

In  respect  of  the  plastic  arts,  a  similar  indirect  instruction  may 
well  be  conveyed.  A  modest  collection  of  photographs  of  the 
paintings  and  sculptures  that  have  best  represented  mythical  sub- 
jects, would,  if  used  in  the  school  and  at  home  in  connection  with 
the  study  of  classic  myths,  avail  much  toward  lifting  our  American 
public  from  the  dead  level  of  apathy  and  provinciality  in  matters 
of  imagination.  A  ray  of  artistic  culture,  even  though  refracted 
through  the  medium  of  photography,  might,  at  least,  illumi- 
nate  guides  that  now  make  hard  for  ditches,  might  clarify  the 


INTRODUCTION.  XXXV 

ideals  of  callow  youth,  and  orient  the  "  chorus  of  indolent  re- 
viewers." 

For,  a  second  specific  advantage  to  be  derived  from  this  study 
is  that  it  quickens  the  aesthetic  judgment,  and  heightens  the 
enjoyment  of  such  works  of  literature  and  art  as  not  treating  of 
mythical  or  classical  subjects  still  possess  the  characteristics  of 
the  classic  :  the  unconscious  simphcity,  the  inevitable  charm,  and 
the  noble  ideality.  The  Lycidas,  the  Adonais,  the  Thyrsis,  the 
In  Memoriam,  the  Ode  to  Duty,  the  Bothie  of  Tober-na-Vuolich, 
the  Hymn  of  Man,  Love  is  Enough,  Prospice,  Festus,  the  Ode  of 
Life,  the  Dream  of  Gerontius,  Lying  in  the  Grass,  and  Simmenthal 
must  mean  little  to  one  devoid  of  the  spirit  of  classicism. 

3.  A  few  hints  to  teachers  of  the  Classic  Myths  in  their  rela- 
tion to  English  Literature  may,  perhaps,  be  acceptable. 

From  the  outset  care  should  be  taken  that  pupils  give  to  the 
classical  names  their  proper  accent,  and  that  they  anglicize  both 
vowels  and  consonants  according  to  the  recognized  rules  laid 
down  in  the  Latin  grammars,  and  the  English  dictionaries. 

Mythological  and  classical  geography  must  also  be  carefully 
studied.  The  maps  accompanying  this  volume  will  be  serviceable ; 
but  there  should  be  in  the  class-room  one  of  Kiepert's  maps  of 
the  World  as  Known  to  the  Ancients  (Orbis  Veteribus  Notus),  or 
maps  of  Ancient  Italy,  Greece,  and  Asia  Minor.  The  teacher 
will  find  The  International  Atlas  (G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  N.Y.), 
A.  Keith  Johnston's  School  and  College  Atlas  of  Ancient  Geogra- 
phy, or  the  new  edition  of  the  same  by  James  Cranstoun  issued 
as  Ginn  and  Company's  Classical  Atlas,  indispensable  in  the  prose- 
cution of  general  reading. 

Most  of  the  myths  will  naturally  be  studied  out  of  class  and 
recited  in  class.  Some  of  the  longer  ones,  however,  such  as  the 
Wanderings  of  Ulysses,  or  the  Adventures  of  ^neas,  might  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  coiu-se  be  read  aloud  in  class  for  some  fifteen 
minutes  every  day,  in  order  that  interest  in  the  narrative  as  a 
whole  may  be  maintained  while  careful  and  continual  review  is 
had  of  the  numerous  allusions  and  references  to  earlier  myths 


xxxvi  INTRODUCTION. 

that  each  of  the  longer  narratives  contains.  Throughout  the 
course,  all  stories  and  all  minuHce  should  be  kept  fresh  in  the 
mind  of  the  pupil,  whether  by  oral  reviews,  informal  and  fre- 
quent questioning,  or  by  compositions  and  written  examinations. 
The  knowledge  of  the  myths  and  the  proper  perspective  of 
their  relation,  one  to  another,  should  be  fixed  by  the  study  of  the 
family  ties  that  motivate  many  of  the  incidents  of  mythical  advent- 
ure, and  that  must  have  been  commonplaces  of  information  to  the 
inventors  and  narrators  of  these  stories. 

The  myths  may  well  be  reproduced  as  exercises  in  narration, 
comparison,  description ;  and  they  may  be  regarded  as  stimulus 
for  imaginative  invention  concerning  local  wonders  and  beauties 
of  nature.  Pupils  may  also  be  encouraged  to  consider,  and  to 
comment  upon,  the  moral  qualities  of  the  heroes  and  heroines  of 
mythology.  Thus  they  may  be  led  to  recognize  the  difference  be- 
tween ancient  and  modern  standards  of  right  and  wrong.  To  this 
end,  and  for  the  supply  of  further  nutriment,  it  is  important  that 
teachers  collect  from  their  reading  of  the  classic  originals,  or  from 
translations  of  the  Iliad,  the  Odyssey,  the  Greek  dramatists,  the 
^neid,  the  Metamorphoses,  etc.,  material  supplementary  to  the 
text,  and  give  it  freely  to  their  classes.  To  facilitate  this  practice, 
the  sources  of  the  myths  have  been  indicated  in  the  footnotes 
of  this  volume,  and  a  few  of  the  best  translations  have  been  men- 
tioned in  §§  IO-I2  of  the  Commentary.  Instructors  should  also 
read  to  the  classes  illustrative  English  poems,  or  portions  of  them 
based  upon  the  myths  under  consideration ;  and  they  should 
encourage  the  pupils  to  collect  from  their  English  reading  addi- 
tional examples  of  the  literary  survival  or  adaptation  of  ancient 
fable.  For  this  purpose  special  sections  of  the  Commentary  have 
been  prepared  indicating  some  of  the  best-known  literary  appli- 
cations of  each  myth. 

The  myths  should  provide  not  only  nutriment  for  thought,  but 
material  for  memory.  Our  youth  in  the  push  for  scientific  facts 
and  methods,  so-called  discipline,  and  literary  acquisition,  masti- 
cate little,  swallow  everything,  digest  nothing,  —  and  having  agon- 


INTRODUCTION.  xxxvii 

ized,  forget.  If  fewer  things  were  despatched,  especially  in  the 
study  of  literature,  and  if  more  were  entrusted  to  the  memory, 
there  would  be  something  to  assimilate,  and  time  to  assimilate  it ; 
there  would  be  less  dyspepsia  and  more  muscle.  Teachers  and 
parents  are  over-considerate,  nowadays,  of  the  memory  in  chil- 
dren :  they  approach  it  gingerly ;  they  have  feared  so  much  to 
wring  its  withers  that  in  most  children  the  memory  has  grown  too 
soft  for  saddling.  In  our  apprehension  lest  pupils  may  turn  out 
parrots,  we  have  too  often  turned  them  out  loons.  It  is  better 
that  a  few  of  the  facts  in  their  heads  be  wrong,  than  that  no  facts 
be  there  at  all.  With  all  our  study  of  children  and  our  gabble 
about  methods  of  teaching  them,  while  we  insist,  properly  enough, 
that  youth  is  the  seed-time  of  observation,  we  seem  to  have  for- 
gotten that  it  is  also  the  harvest-time  of  memory.  It  is  easy  for 
children  to  remember  what  they  learn,  it  is  a  delight  for  them  to 
commit  to  memory ;  we  act  criminally  when  we  send  them  forth 
with  hardly  a  fact,  or  a  date,  or  a  glorious  verse  in  the  memory 
of  one  out  of  ten  of  them.  Such  unfortunately  is  the  case  in 
many  of  our  schools ;  and  such  was  not  the  case  in  the  day  of 
our  fathers.  Pupils  should  be  encouraged  to  recite  memoriter  the 
best  poems  and  verses  that  accompany  the  myths  here  given ; 
and  they  should  not  be  allowed  to  pass  allusions  already  explained 
without  recalling  verses  that  contain  them. 

But,  above  all  things,  should  be  cultivated,  by  means  of  this 
study,  the  spiritual  capabilities  of  our  youth.  Pabulum  for  thought, 
accurate  habits  of  memory,  critical  judgment,  simplicity  and 
directness  of  oral  and  written  expression  may  all  be  furnished  or 
developed  by  other  educative  agencies ;  but  what  stimulus  to 
fancy,  to  poetic  sensitiveness  and  reflection,  to  a  near  kinship  with 
the  spirit  of  nature  humanized  can  be  found  more  cogent  than 
the  contemplation  of  the  poetic  traditions  that  abide  in  verse? 
Mythology,  fraught  with  the  fire  of  imagination,  kindles  the 
present  from  the  past. 

In  this  new  world  of  ours,  shall  slopes  and  mountains,  gorges, 
canons,  flowery  fields  and  forests,  rivers,  bays,  Titanic  lakes,  and 


xxxviii  INTR  OD  UC  TION. 

shoreless  reach  of  ocean  be  seen  of  eyes  that  lack  insight,  be 
known  of  men  for  whom  nature  does  not  live?  Surely  the  age 
of  myth  is  not  yet  wholly  past;  surely  the  beauties  and  the 
wonders  of  nature  are  a  fable  of  things  never  fully  revealed ; 
surely  this  new  republic  of  ours,  no  less  than  her  prototypes  by 
Tyrrhenian  and  ^gean  seas,  utters,  in  her  queenly  form  and 
flowing  robes,  a  spirit,  a  truth,  a  potential  poetry,  and  a  beauty 
of  art,  the  mere  grace  of  which  we  Americans  for  lack  of 
imaginative  training,  and  sympathy,  and  awe  have  not  yet  valued, 
and  have  yet  to  apprehend. 


THE 

CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

CHAPTER    I. 

THE   ORIGIN   AND    ELEMENTS   OF   MYTH. 

§  I.  Purpose  of  the  Study.  —  Interwoven  with  the  fabric  of 
our  English  Hterature,  of  our  epics,  dramas,  lyrics,  and  novels, 
of  our  essays  and  orations,  like  a  golden  warp  where  the  woof  is 
only  too  often  of  silver,  are  the  myths  of  certain  ancient  nations. 
It  is  the  purpose  of  this  work  to  relate  some  of  these  myths,  and 
to  illustrate  the  uses  to  which  they  have  been  put  in  English 
literature,  and,  incidentally,  in  modem  art. 

The  Fable  and  the  Myth.  —  Careful  discrimination  must  be 
made  between  the  fable  and  the  myth.  A  fable  is  a  story,  like 
that  of  King  Log,  or  the  Fox  and  the  Grapes,  in  which  characters 
and  plot,  neither  pretending  to  reality  nor  demanding  credence, 
are  fabricated  confessedly  as  the  vehicle  of  moral  or  didactic 
instruction.  Dr.  Johnson  narrows  still  further  the  scope  of  the 
fable  :  "  It  seems  to  be,  in  its  genuine  state,  a  narrative  in  which 
bdn^i^s  irrational,  and  sometimes  inayiimate,  are,  for  the  purpose 
of  moral  instruction,  feigned  to  act  and  speak  with  human  interests 
and  passions."  Myths,  on  the  other  hand,  are  stories  of  anony- 
mous origin,  prevalent  among  primitive  peoples,  and  by  them 
accepted  as  true,  concerning  supernatural  beings  and  events,  or 
natural  beings  and   events  influenced  by  supernatural  agencies. 

1 


2  CLASSIC  MYTHS   IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Fables  are  made  by  individuals ;  they  may  be  told  in  any  stage 
of  a  nation's  history  —  by  a  Jotham  when  the  Israelites  were  still 
under  the  Judges,  1 200  years  before  Christ,  or  by  Christ  himself 
in  the  days  of  the  most  critical  Jewish  scholarship  ;  by  a  Menenius 
when  Rome  was  still  involved  in  petty  squabbles  of  plebeians  and 
patricians,  or  by  Phsedrus  and  Horace  in  the  Augustan  age  of 
Roman  imperialism  and  Roman  letters ;  by  an  ^sop,  well-nigh 
fabulous,  to  fabled  fellow-slaves  and  Athenian  tyrants,  or  by  La 
Fontaine  to  the  Grand  Monarch  and  the  most  highly  civilized  race 
of  seventeenth  century  Europe. 

Fables  are  vessels  made  to  order  into  which  a  lesson  may  be 
poured.  Myths  are  born,  not  made.  They  are  born  in  the 
infancy  of  a  people.  They  owe  their  features  not  to  any  one 
historic  individual,  but  to  the  imaginative  efforts  of  generations 
of  story-tellers.  The  myth  of  Pandora,  the  first  woman,  endowed 
by  the  immortals  with  heavenly  graces,  and  of  Prometheus,  who 
stole  fire  from  heaven  for  the  use  of  man ;  the  myth  of  the  earth- 
born  giants  that  in  the  beginning  contested  with  the  gods  the 
sovereignty  of  the  universe ;  of  the  moon-goddess  who,  with  her 
buskined  nymphs,  pursues  the  chase  across  the  azure  of  the 
heavens,  or  descending  to  earth  cherishes  the  youth  Endymion, — 
these  myths,  germinating  in  some  quaint  and  childish  interpreta- 
tion of  natural  events  or  in  some  fire-side  fancy,  have  put  forth 
unconsciously  under  the  nurture  of  the  simple  folk  that  conceived 
and  tended  them,  luxuriant  branches  and  leaves  of  narrative,  and 
blossoms  of  poetic  comeliness  and  form. 

The  myths  that  we  shall  relate  present  wonderful  accounts  of 
the  creation,  histories  of  numerous  divine  beings,  adventures  of 
heroes  in  which  magical  and  ghostly  agencies  play  a  part,  and 
where  animals  and  inanimate  nature  don  the  attributes  of  men  and 
gods.  Many  of  these  myths  treat  of  divinities  once  worshipped 
by  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans,  and  by  our  Norse  and  German 
forefathers  in  the  dark  ages.  Myths,  more  or  less  like  these,  may 
be  found  in  the  literatures  of  nearly  all  nations  ;  many  are  in  the 
memories  and  mouths  of  savage  races  at  this  time  existent.     But 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS  OF  MYTH.  3 

the  stories  here  narrated  are  no  longer  beUeved  by  any  one.  The 
so-called  divinities  of  Olympus  and  of  Asgard  have  not  a  single 
worshipper  among  men.  They  dwell  only  in  the  realm  of  memory 
and  imagination ;  they  are  enthroned  in  the  palace  of  art 

§  2.  Kinds  of  Myth.  —  If  we  classify  these  stories  according 
to  the  reason  of  their  existence,  we  observe  that  they  are  of  two 
kinds  :  explanatory  and  aesthetic. 

(i)  Explanatory  myths  are  the  outcome  of  naive  guesses  at  the 
truth,  of  mistaken  and  superstitious  attempts  to  satisfy  the  curi- 
osity of  primitive  and  unenlightened  peoples,  to  unveil  the  myste- 
ries of  existence,  make  clear  the  facts  of  the  universe  and  the 
experiences  of  life,  and  to  teach  the  meaning  and  the  history  of 
things.  There  are  certain  questions  that  nearly  every  child  and 
every  savage  asks  :  What  is  the  world,  and  what  is  man  ?  Who 
made  them?  What  else  did  the  maker  do?  and  what  the  first 
men?  Whence  came  the  commodities  of  life?  What  is  death,  and 
what  becomes  of  us  after  death  ?  The  answers  to  such  questions 
crystallized  themselves  gradually  into  stories  of  the  creation,  of 
the  gods,  and  of  the  heroes  —  forefathers  of  men,  but  magnified, 
because  unfamiliar,  mysterious,  and  remote. 

Old  literatures  abound  in  explanatory  myths  of  so  highly  imagi- 
native a  character  that  we  modems  are  tempted  to  read  into 
them  meanings  which  probably  they  never  possessed.  For  the 
diverse  and  contradictory  significations  that  have  in  recent  years 
been  proposed  for  one  and  the  same  myth  could  not  all,  at  any 
one  time,  have  been  entertained  by  the  myth-makers.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  current  explanations  of  certain  myths  are  suffi- 
ciently apparent  to  be  probable.  "  To  the  ancients,"  says  John 
Fiske,'  "the  moon  was  not  a  lifeless  body  of  stones  and  clods; 
it  was  the  homed  huntress  Artemis,  coursing  through  the  upper 
ether,  or  bathing  herself  in  the  clear  lake  ;  or  it  was  Aphrodite, 
protectress  of  lovers,  born  of  the  sea-foam  in  the  East,  near 
Cypms.      The  clouds  were  not  bodies  of  vaporized  water ;  they 

1  Myths  and  Myth-Makers,  p.  i8.     Proper  names  have  been  anglicized. 


4  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

were  cows,  with  swelling  udders,  driven  to  the  milking  by  Hermes, 
the  summer  wind ;  or  great  sheep  with  moist  fleeces,  slain  by  the 
unerring  arrows  of  Bellerophon,  the  sun  ;  or  swan-maidens,  flitting 
across  the  firmament ;  Valkyries  hovering  over  the  battle-field,  to 
receive  the  souls  of  falling  heroes ;  or,  again,  they  were  mighty 
mountains,  piled  one  above  another,  in  whose  cavernous  recesses 
the  divining-wand  of  the  storm-god  Thor  revealed  hidden  treas- 
ures. The  yellow-haired  sun  Phoebus  drove  westerly  all  day  in  his 
flaming  chariot ;  or,  perhaps,  as  Meleager,  retired  for  awhile  in 
disgust  from  the  sight  of  men ;  wedded  at  eventide  the  violet 

I  light  (CEnone,  lole)  which  he  had  forsaken  in  the  morning ;  sank 

as  Hercules  upon  a  blazing  funeral-p)rre,  or,  like  Agamemnon, 
perished  in  a  blood-stained  bath ;  or,  as  the  fish-god,  Dagon, 
swam  nightly  through  the  subterranean  waters  to  appear  eastward 
again  at  daybreak.  Sometimes  Phaethon,  his  rash,  inexperienced 
son,  would  take  the  reins  and  drive  the  solar  chariot  too  near  the 
earth,  causing  the  fruits  to  perish,  and  the  grass  to  wither,  and  the 
wells  to  dry  up.  Sometimes,  too,  the  great  all-seeing  divinity,  in 
his  wrath  at  the  impiety  of  men,  would  shoot  down  his  scorching 
arrows,  causing  pestilence  to  spread  over  the  land." 

(2)  Esthetic  myths  have  their  origin  in  the  universal  desire  for 
amusement ;  in  the  revulsion  of  the  mind  from  the  humdrum  of 
actuality.  They  furnish  information  that  may  not  be  practical  but 
is  delightful ;  they  elicit  emotion  —  sympathy,  tears,  and  laughter 
—  for  characters  and  events  remote  from  our  commonplace  expe- 
rience but  close  to  the  heart  of  things,  and  near  and  significant  and 
enchanting  to  us  in  the  atmosphere  of  imagination  that  embraces 
''  Jf  severed  continents,  inspires  the  dead  with  life,  bestows  color  and 

L  ^  ^j^  breath  upon  the  creatures  of  a  dream,  and  wraps  young  and  old 

,, ,     in  the  wonder  of  hearing  a  new  thing.     The  aesthetic  myth,  first, 

,     \'  removes  us  from  the  sordid  world  of  immediate  and  selfish  needs, 

and  then  unrolls  a  vision  of  a  world  where  men  and  things  exist 

simply  for  the  purpose  of  delighting  us.     And  the  enduring  meas- 

^^vctt  of  delight  which  the  aesthetic  myth  affords  is  the  test  of  what 

-    "•'  .     we  call  its  beauty.  j^ , 


4.0 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  5 

A  myth,  whether  explanatory  or  aesthetic,  is  of  unconscious 
growth,  almost  never  concocted  with  a  view  to  instruction. 

According  to  their  subjects,  aesthetic  myths  are  either  historic 
or  romantic.  («)  If  historic,  they  utilize  events  which  have  a 
skeleton  of  fact.  They  supply  flesh  and  sinew  of  divine  or  heroic 
adventure  and  character,  blood  and  breath  of  probability  and 
imagination.  In  historic  myths  the  dependence  of  gods,  heroes, 
and  events  upon  the  stern  necessity  of  an  overruling  power,  of 
fate  or  providence,  is  especially  to  be  observed.  Of  this  class  is 
the  Iliad  of  Homer. 

{b^  If  romantic,  the  myths  are  characterized  by  bolder  selection 
or  creation  of  fundamental  events ;  indeed,  events  appear  to  be 
chosen  with  a  view  to  displaying  or  developing  the  character  of 
the  hero.  In  such  myths  circumstances  are  not  so  important  as 
what  the  hero  does  with  circumstances.  The  hero  is  more  inde- 
pendent than  in  the  historic  myth,  his  liberty,  his  choice,  —  in 
judgment,  in  conduct,  and  in  feeling,  —  his  responsibility,  are  the 
centre  of  interest.  In  romantic  myths  like  the  Odyssey  this 
sense  of  freedom  does  not  impel  the  poet  to  capricious  use  of 
his  material.  But  lesser  bards  than  Homer  have  permitted  their 
heroes  to  run  riot  in  adventures  that  weary  the  imagination  and 
offend  the  moral  judgment. 

§  3.  Divisions  of  Inquiry.  —  We  are  next  led  to  ask  how  these 
myths  came  into  existence,  and  how  it  is  that  the  same  myth 
meets  us  under  various  forms  in  literatures  and  among  peoples 
widely  separate  in  time  and  place.  These  are  questions  of  the 
Origin  and  Distribution  of  myths ;  and  in  this  chapter  we  shall 
discuss  the  former. 

§  4.  Elements  of  the  Myth. — The  myths  preserved  in  the 
literatures  of  many  civilized  nations,  such  as  the  Greek,  present  to 
the  imaginative  and  the  moral  sense  aspects  fraught  with  contradic- 
tion. In  certain  myths  the  gods  display  themselves  as  beautiful, 
\vise,  and  beneficent  beings ;  in  others  they  indulge  in  cruel,  fool- 
ish, and  unbeautiful  practices  and  adventures.  These  contradic- 
tory elements  have  been  called  the  reasonable  and  the  senseless. 


6  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

A  myth  of  Mother  Earth   (Demeter)   mourning  the  loss  of  her 

»         daughter,    the   Springtide,   is   reasonable  7"  a   myth   of   Demeter 

devouring,  in  a  fit  of  abstraction,  the  shoulder  of  the  boy  Pelops, 

I    and  replacing  it  with  ivory,  is  capricious';  apparently  senseless. 

,  vi^iw.  "  It  is  this  silly,  senseless,  and  savage  element,"  as  Max  Miiller 

says,  "  that  makes  mythology  the  puzzle  which  men  have  so  long 

found  it." 

§  5.  Reasonable  Myths.  —  If  myths  were  always  reasonable,  it 
would  not  be  difficult  to  reach  an  agreement  concerning  some 
way  by  which  they  may  have  come  into  existence. 

Imagination.  —  If  we  assume  that  the  peoples  who  invented 
I  these  stories  of  supernatural  beings  and  events  had,  with  due 
allowance  for  the  discrepancy  in  mental  development,  imagina- 
tions like  our  own,  there  is  nothing  in  the  history  of  reasonable 
myths  to  baffle  our  understanding.  For,  at  the  present  time, 
not  only  children  and  simple-minded  men,  like  sailors  or  moun- 
taineers, but  cultivated  men  of  ordinary  poetic  sensibility,  bestow 
\  '     attributes  of  life  upon  inanimate  things  and  abstract  ideas.     The 

,  ^j..     sun  is  nowadays  thirsty,  the  ship  is  a  woman,  the  clouds  threaten, 
,    charity  suffereth  long,  the  waves  are  angry,   time  will  tell,   and 
,  \    death    swallows    all    things.     We   look    unto    the   hills    whence 
,«*-<•)  Cometh  our  aid ;  the  sun  still  rises,  and,  as  Mr.  Jasper  maintains, 
I  k  S^Y^-t  •   "  do  move."     By  personification  we,  every  day,  bestow  the  attri- 
j  Cj  \  butes   of  human   beings   upon   inanimate   nature,   animals,   and 

u  n  1  abstractions.     By  our  metaphors,  we  perpetuate  and  diffuse  the 

IK  a — U«tv^oetic  illusion;  we  talk  not  perhaps  of  the  arrows  of  Apollo,  but 
"Ak.-  of  a  sun-stroke ;  our  poetry  abounds  in  symbols  of  the  moon,  of 
I...M  ^_iiVthe  swift- winged  wind,  of  the  ravening  sea.     In  our  metonymies 
,v»«v«i  U<^  ^^  "se  the  sign  for  the  thing  signified,  the  crown  for  the  king,  the 
Vw-  v^<^     fl^g  for  the  honor  of  the  country  ;  and  the  crown  and  the  flag  are 
\nm-         to-day  possessed  of  attributes  and  individuality  just  as  efficient  as 
1  those  that  endowed  the  golden  handmaids  of  Vulcan,  or  the  eagle 
i)A/.,vA       Qf  Jove.     Nor  is  hyperbole  any  less  in  use  among  us  than  it  was 
\v^i^<r^      among  the  ancients  ;  we  glorify  our  political  heroes  with  superla- 
\l^^<^^    tives,  they  dignified  theirs  with  divinity. 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  7 

Belief.  —  But  this  resemblance  in  habits  of  imagination,  while 
it  may  help  us  to  appreciate  the  mental  condition  of  primitive 
peoples,  accentuates  the  distinction  between  our  imagination  and 
theirs.  They,  at  some  Jtime  ^r^ther_ believed  in  these  personifica- 
tions. We  do  notbeTieve.  Biitthieit  belief  is  easier  to  comprehend 
wh^  we  remember  that  the  myths  of  savages  clustered  about 
Jbfeings  whom  they  worshipped.  Among  primitive  nations  the 
sense  of  awe  in  the  presence  of  magnificent  objects  of  nature  — 
mountains,  the  sky,  the  sun,  the  sea — is  universal.  It  springs 
from  the  fact  that  savages  do  not  deem  themselves  superior  to 
nature.  They  are  not  conscious  of  souls  whose  flight  is  higher 
than  that  of  nature.  On  the  contrary,  since  sun,  sea,  and  winds 
move,  the  savage  invests  them  with  free-will  and  personality  like 
man's.  In  proportion,  however,  as  their  size  is  grander  or  their 
movement  more  tremendous,  these  objects  must  be  possessed  of 
freedom,  personality,  and  power  exceeding  those  of  man.  Why, 
then,  should  not  the  savage  believe  of  beings,  worthy  of  worship 
and  fear  and  gratitude,  all  and  more  than  all  that  is  accredited 
to  man?  Why  not  confer  upon  them  human  and  superhuman 
passions  and  powers?  If  we  were  living,  like  the  Greek  of  old, 
close  to  the  heart  of  nature,  such  personification  of  natural  powers 
would  be  more  easy  for  us  to  appreciate. 

"  If  for  us  also,  as  for  the  Greek,"  says  Mr.  Ruskin,^  "  the  sun- 
rise means  daily  restoration  to  the  sense  of  passionate  gladness 
and  of  perfect  life  —  if  it  means  the  thrilling  of  new  strength 
through  every  nerve,  —  the  shedding  over  us  of  a  better  peace  than 
the  peace  of  night,  in  the  power  of  the  dawn, — and  the  purging  of 
evil  vision  and  fear  by  the  baptism  of  its  dew ;  —  if  the  sun  itself  is 
an  influence,  to  us  also,  of  spiritual  good,  —  and  becomes  thus  in 
reaUty,  not  in  imagination,  to  us  also,  a  spiritual  power,  —  we  may 
then  soon  over-pass  the  narrow  limit  of  conception  which  kept 
that  power  impersonal,  and  rise  with  the  Greek  to  the  thought  of 
an  angel  who  rejoiced  as  a  strong  man  to  run  his  course,  whose 

1  Ruskin,  Queen  of  the  Air.  « 


8  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

voice,  calling  to  life  and  to  labor,  rang  round  the  earth,  and  whose 
going  forth  was  to  the  ends  of  heaven." 

Regarding  thus  the  religious  condition  of  the  savage,  we  may 
comprehend  the  existence  of  myths,  and  his  acceptance  of  them. 

§  6.  Unreasonable  Mjrths. — But  he  would  maintain  this  atti- 
tude of  acceptance  only  in  the  matter  of  good  and  beneficent  gods 
and  of  righteous  or  reasonable  myths. 

For  how  could  a  human  being  believe  of  the  god  whom  he 
worshipped  and  revered,  deeds  and  attributes  more  silly  and  more 
shameful  than  man  can  conceive  of  his  fellow-man  ?  When,  there- 
fore, we  find  senseless  and  shameless  myths  existing  side  by  side 
with  stories  of  the  justice  and  righteousness  of  the  same  god,  we 
must  conclude  that,  since  the  worshipper  could  not  believe  both 
sets  of  attributes,  he  preserved  his  religious  attitude  before  the 
good  god,  only  by  virtue  of  rejecting  the  senseless  myth. 

A  man's  religious  belief  would  assist  him  to  entertain  only  the 
reasonable  myths.  How,  then,  did  the  senseless  and  cruel  stories 
come  into  existence  ?     And  were  they  ever  believed  ? 

How  accounted  for.  — There  are  many  answers  to  these  ques- 
tions. They  may,  however,  be  classified  according  to  the  theory 
of  civilization  that  they  assume. 

According  to  the  Theory  of  Deterioration,  or  Human  Depravity, 
man,  although  he  had  in  the  beginning  knowledge  of  common 
facts,  pure  moral  and  religious  ideas,  and  true  poetic  concep- 
tions, has  forgotten,  with  the  lapse  of  time,  the  significance  of 
words,  facts,  men,  and  events,  adopted  cornipt  moral  and  religious 
notions,  and  given  license  to  the  diseased  imagining  of  untrue  and 
unlovely  conceptions. 

According  to  the  Theory  of  Improvement,  or  Progress,  man, 
beginning  with  crude  dreams  and  fancies  about  experience,  life, 
the  world,  and  God,  has  gradually  developed  truer  and  higher 
conceptions  of  his  own  nature,  of  his  relation  to  the  world  about 
him,  of  duty,  of  art,  and  of  religion. 

§  7.  Theory  of  Deterioration.  —  Let  us  consider  first  the  inter- 
pretations of  mythology  that  assume  a  backward  tendency  in  early 
civilization.     They  are  :  — 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  9 

( 1 )  The  Historical,  or  better  called  after  its  author,  Euhemerus 
(b.c.  316),  the  Euhemeristic.  This  explanation  assumes  thati 
myths  of  the  gods  are  exaggerated  adventures  of  historic  indi- 
viduals, chieftains,  medicine-men,  heroes ;  and  that  supernatural  1 
events  are  distortions  qf  natural  but  wonderful  occurrences.  In 
fact,  it  attributes  to  our  forefathers  a  disease  of  the  memory  which 
prompted  them  to  pervert  facts.  Jupiter,  Odin,  and  Hercules 
were  accordingly  men  who,  after  death,  had  been  glorified,  then 
deified,  then  invested  with  numerous  characteristics  and  adventures 
appropriate  to  their  exalted  conditions  of  existence. 

The  custom  of  worshipping  ancestors,  still  existent  in  China  and 
other  countries,  is  adduced  in  support  of  this  method  of  investi- 
gating myths,  and  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  method  explains 
the  origin  and  growth  of  some  myths.  But  it  accounts  rather  for 
the  reasonable  than  the  senseless  element  of  mythical  adventure, 
while  it  fails  to  show  how  savages  come  to  exaggerate  their  heroes 
into  beings  entirely  out  of  the  realm  of  that  actual  experience 
which  is  the  basis  of  the  historical  assumption. 

(2)  The  Philological  Interpretation^  assumes  also  a  disease  of 
the  memory  by  reason  of  which  men  misunderstand  and  confuse 
the  meanings  of  words,  and  misapply  the  words  themselves.  Pro- 
fessor Max  Miiller  calls  this  affection  a  disease  of  language.  In 
ancient  languages  every  such  word  as  day,  night,  earth,  sun,  spring, 
dawn,  had  an  ending  expressive  of  gender,  which  naturally  pro- 
duced the  corresponding  idea  of  sex.  These  objects  accordingly 
became  in  the  process  of  generations  not  only  persons,  but  male 
and  female.  As,  also,  the  phrases  expressing  the  existence  or  the 
activity  of  these  natural  objects  lost  their  ancient  signification 
under  new  colloquial  coloring,  primitive  and  simple  statements  of 
natural  events  acquired  the  garb  and  dignity  of  elaborate  and  often 
incongruous  narratives,  no  longer  about  natural  events,  but  about 
persons.     Ancient  language  may,  for  instance,  have  said  sunrise 

1  See  Max  Miiller's  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  Science  of  Religion,  etc. ; 
Cox's  .Aryan  Myths,  and  numerous  articles  by  the  learned  authors  of  Roscher's 
AusJiiArliches  Lexicon. 


f'  - 


10  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

follows  the  dawn.  The  word  for  sun  was  masculine ;  the  word 
for  dawn,  feminine.  In  time  the  sentence  came  to  mean  Apollo 
the  god  of  the  sun  chases  Daphne,  the  maiden  of  the  glowing 
dawn.  But  the  word.  Daphne,  meant  also  a  laurel  that  burned 
easily,  hence  might  readily  be  devoted  to  the  god  of  the  sun.  So 
Daphne,  the  maiden,  assuming  the  form  of  Daphne,  the  laurel, 
escaped  the  pursuit  of  her  ardent  lover,  by  becoming  the  tree 
sacred  to  his  worship.^  The  merit  of  the  philological  method  is, 
that,  tracing  the  name  of  a  mythical  character  through  kindred 
languages,  it  frequently  ascertains  for  us  the  family  of  the  myth, 
brings  to  light  kindred  forms  of  the  myth,  discovers  in  what  lan- 
guage the  name  was  born,  and  sometimes,  giving  us  the  original 
meaning  of  the  divine  name,  "  throws  light  on  the  legend  of  the 
bearer  of  the  name  and  on  its  origin  and  first  home."  ^ 

But  unfortunately  there  is  very  often  no  agreement  among  schol- 
ars about  the  original  meaning  of  the  names  of  mythical  beings. 
The  same  name  is  frequently  explained  in  half  a  dozen  different 
ways.  The  same  deity  is  reduced  by  different  interpreters  to  half 
a  dozen  elements  of  nature.  A  certain  goddess  represents  now  the 
upper  air,  now  light,  now  lightning,  and  yet  again  clouds.  Naturally 
the  attempts  at  construing  her  adventures  must  terminate  in  corre- 
spondingly dissimilar  and  unconvincing  results.  In  fine,  the  philo- 
logical explanation  assumes  as  its  starting-point  masculine  and 
feminine  names  for  objects  of  nature.  It  does  not  attempt  to 
show  how  an  object  like  the  ocean  came  to  be  male,  and  not 
female,  or  how  it  came  to  be  a  person  at  all.  And  this  latter,  in 
studying  the  origin  of  myths,  is  what  should  first  be  ascertained. 
We  must  not,  however,  fall  into  the  error  of  supposing  that  the 
philologists  look  for  the  origin  and  growth  of  all  myths  in  words 
and  the  diseases  of  words.  Max  Miiller  grants  that  mythology 
does  not  always  create  its  own  heroes,  but  sometimes  lays  hold 
of  real  history.     He  insists  that  mythologists  should  bear  in  mind 

1  Max  Miiller,  Essay  on  Comp.  Mythol.   Oxford  Essays,  1856.   Sci.  Relig.  1 1. 548  n. 

2  Andrew  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Religion,  I.  24-25,  and  Professor  C.  P.  Tiele, 
as  cited  by  Lang. 


ORIGIN  AND   ELEMENTS    OF  MYTH.  11 

that  there  may  be  in  every  mythological  riddle  elements  which 
resist  etymological  analysis,  for  the  simple  reason  that  their  origin 
was  not  etymological,  but  historical. 

(3)  The  Allegorical  Interpretation  is  akin  to  the  philological  in  its 
results.  It  leads  us  to  explain  myths  as  embodiments  in  symbolic 
guise  of  hidden  meaning :  of  physical,  chemical,  or  astronomical 
facts;  or  of  moral,  religious,  philosophical  truth.  The  stories 
would  at  first  exist  as  allegories,  but  in  process  of  time  would 
come  to  be  understood  literally.  Thus  Cronus,  who  devours  his 
own  children,  is  identified  with  the  power  that  the  Greeks  called 
Chronos  (Time),  which  may  truly  be  said  to  destroy  whatever  it  has 
brought  into  existence.  The  story  of  lo  is  interpreted  in  a  similar 
manner.  lo  is  the  moon,  and  Argus  the  starry  sky,  which,  as 
it  were,  keeps  sleepless  watch  over  her.  The  fabulous  wander- 
ings of  lo  represent  the  continual  revolutions  of  the  moon.  This  I 
method  of  explanation  rests  upon  the  assumption  that  the  men  1 
who  made  the  allegories  were  proficient  in  physics,  chemistry, 
astronomy,  etc.,  and  clever  in  allegory ;  but  that,  for  some  un-  ( 
known  reason,  their  descendants  becoming  stupid,  knowledge  as 
well  as  wit  deserted  the  race.  In  some  cases  the  myth  was,  with- 
out doubt,  from  the  first  an  allegory ;  but  where  the  myth  was 
consciously  fashioned  as  an  allegory,  in  all  probability  it  was  pre- 
ser\'ed  as  such.  It  is  not,  however,  likely  that  allegories  of  deep 
scientific  or  philosophical  import  were  invented  by  savages.  Where 
the  myth  has  every  mark  of  great  antiquity,  —  is  especially  silly 
and  senseless  and  savage,  —  it  is  safe  to  believe  that  any  profound 
allegorical  meaning,  read  into  it,  is  the  work  of  men  of  a  later 
generation  who  thus  attempted  to  make  reasonable  the  divine  and 
heroic  narratives  which  they  could  not  otherwise  justify,  and  of 
whose  existence  they  were  ashamed.  We  find,  moreover,  in  some 
cases  a  great  variety  of  symbolic  explanations  of  the  same  myth, 
one  with  as  great  claim  to  credence  as  another,  since  they  spring 
from  the  same  source,  the  caprice  or  fancy  of  the  expounder. 

Among  the  ancients  Theagenes  of  Rhegium,  six  hundred  years 
before  Christ,  suggested  the  allegorical   theory  and   method  of 


12  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

interpretation.  In  modern  times  he  has  been  supported  by  Lord 
Bacon,  whose  "  Wisdom  of  the  Ancients  "  treats  myths  as  "  elegant 
and  instructive  fables,"  and  by  many  Germans,  especially  Professor 
Creuzer. 

(4)   The  Theological  Interpretation.  —  This  premises  that  man- 
I   kind,  either  in  general  or  through  some  chosen  nationality,  received 
;   from  God  an  original  revelation  of  pure  religious  ideas,  and  that, 
with  the  systematic  and  continued  perversion  of  the  moral  sense, 
this  knowledge  of  truthf  morality,  and  spiritual  religion  fell  into 
"  corruption.     So  in  Greek  mythology  the  attributes  of  the  various 
gods  would  be  imperfect  irradiations  of  the  attributes  of  the  one 
God.     A  more  limited  conception  is,  that  all  mythological  legends 
'j  are  derived  from  the  narratives    of  Scripture,   though   the  real 
,  facts  have  been  disguised  and  altered.     Thus,  Deucalion  is  only 
another  name  for  Noah,  Hercules  for  Samson,  Arion  for  Jonah,  etc. 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  his  "  History  of  the  World,"  says,  "  Jubal, 
Tubal,  and  Tubal- Cain  were  Mercury,  Vulcan,  and  Apollo,  invent- 
ors of  pasturage,  smithing,  and  music.     The  dragon  which  kept 
the  golden  apples  was  the  serpent  that  beguiled  Eve.     Nimrod's 
tower  was  the  attempt  of  the  giants  against  heaven."     There  are 
\  doubtless  many  curious  coincidences   Hke  these,  but  the  theory 
'  cannot,  without  extravagance,  be  pushed  so  far  as  to  account  for 
any  great  proportion  of  the  stories.     For  many  myths  antedate 
the  scriptural  narratives   of  which  they  are  said  to  be  copies; 
many  more,  though  resembling  the  scriptural  stories,  originated 
among  peoples  ignorant  of  the  Hebrew  Bible.     The  theory  rests 
upon  two  unproved  assumptions  :  one,  that  all  nations  have  had  a 
chance  to  be  influenced  by  the  same  set  of  religious  doctrines ; 
the  other,  that  God  made  his  revelation  in  the  beginning  once  for 
all,  and  has  done  nothing  to  help  man  toward  righteousness  since 
then.     The  theological  theory  has  been  advocated  by  Voss  and 
other  Germans  in  the  seventeenth  century,  by  Jacob  Bryant  in 
1774,  and  in  this  century  most  ably  by  Gladstone.* 

1  W.  E.  Gladstone,   Homer  and  the  Homeric   Age ;   Juventus   Mundi ;    The; 
Olympian  Religion  (North  Am.  Review,  Feb.-May,  1892). 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  13 

§  8.  We  are  now  ready  for  the  explanation  of  myth-making 
based  upon  the  Theory  of  Progress.  This  is  best  stated  by 
Mr.  Andrew  l^ng/  whose  argument  is,  when  possible,  given  in  his 
own  language.  To  the  question  how  the  senseless  element  got 
into  myths,  the  advocates  of  this  theory  answer  that  it  was  in  the 
minds  and  in  the  social  condition  of  the  savages  who  invented  the 
myths.  But  since  we  cannot  put  ourselves  back  in  history  thou- 
sands of  years  to  examine  the  habits  of  thought  and  life  of  early 
savages,  we  are  constrained  to  examine  whether  anywhere  nowa- 
days there  may  exist  "  any  stage  of  the  human  intellect  in  which 
these  divine  adventures  and  changes  of  men  into  animals,  trees, 
stars,  this  belief  in  seeing  and  talking  with  the  dead,  are  regarded 
as  possible  incidents  of  daily  human  life."  As  the  result  of  such 
scientific  investigation,  numerous  races  of  savages  have  been  found 
who  at  this  present  day  accept  and  believe  just  such  silly  and 
senseless  elements  of  myth  as  puzzle  us,  and  have  puzzled  many  of 
the  cultivated  ancients  who  found  them  in  their  inherited  mythol- 
ogies. The  theory  of  development  is,  then,  that  "  the  savage  and 
senseless  element  in  mythology  is,  for  the  most  part,  a  legacy  from 
ancestors  of  civilized  races  who  at  the  time  that  they  invented  the 
senseless  stories  were  in  an  intellectual  state  not  higher  than  that 
of  our  contemporary  Australians,  Bushmen,  Red  Indians,  the 
lower  races  of  South  America,  and  other  worse  than  barbaric 
people  of  the  nineteenth  century."  But  what  are  the  character- 
istics of  the  mental  state  of  our  contemporary  savages?  First 
and  foremost,  curiosity  that  leads  them  to  inquire  into  the  causes 
of  things  ;  and  second,  credulity  that  impels  them  to  invent  or  to 
accept  childish  stories  that  may  satisfy  their  untutored  experience. 
We  find,  moreover,  that  savages  nowadays  think  of  everything 
around  them  as  having  life  and  the  parts  and  passions  of  persons 
like  themselves.  "  The  sky,  sun,  wind,  sea,  earth,  mountains, 
trees,  regarded  as  persons,  are  mixed  up  with  men,  beasts,  stars, 

1  Andrew  l^-ing.  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Religion,  2  vols.,  Ixjndon,  1887;  and  Encyc. 
Brit.,  9th  ed.,  article,  Mythology.  Mannhardt,  Antike  VVald-  und  Feldkultus, 
Berlin,  1877.     E.  B.  Tylor,  Anthropology  ;  Primitive  Culture. 


14  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

and  stones  on  the  same  level  of  personality  and  life."  The  forces 
of  nature,  animals,  and  things  have  for  these  Polynesians  and 
Bushmen  the  same  powers  and  attributes  that  men  have ;  and  in 
their  opinion  men  have  the  following  attributes  :  — 

"  I.  Relationship  to  animals  and  ability  to  be  transformed,  and 
to  transform  others  into  animals  and  other  objects. 

"  2.  Magical  accomplishments,  such  as  power  to  call  up  ghosts, 
or  to  visit  ghosts  and  the  region  of  the  dead ;  power  over  the 
seasons,  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  weather,  and  so  forth."  ^ 

The  stories  of  savages  to-day  abound  in  adventures  based  upon 
qualities  and  incidents  like  these.  If  these  stories  should  sur- 
vive in  the  literature  of  these  nations  after  the  nations  have  been 
civilized,  they  would  appear  senseless  and  silly  and  cruel  to  the 
descendants  of  our  contemporary  savages.  In  like  manner,  "as 
the  ancient  Greeks,  Egyptians,  and  Norsemen  advanced  in  civil- 
ization, their  religious  thought  and  artistic  taste  were  shocked  by 
myths  which  were  preserved  by  local  priesthoods,  or  in  ancient 
poems,  or  in  popular  religious  ceremonials.  ,  .  .  We  may  believe 
that  ancient  and  early  tribes  framed  gods  like  themselves  in  action 
and  in  experience,  and  that  the  allegorical  element  in  myths  is 
the  addition  of  later  peoples  who  had  attained  to  purer  ideas  Of 
divinity,  yet  dared  not  reject  the  rehgion  of  their  ancestors."  ^ 
The  senseless  element  in  the  myths  would,  by  this  theory,  be,  for 
the  most  part,  a  "survival."  Instead,  then,  of  deteriorating,  the 
races  that  invented  senseless  myths  are,  with  ups  and  downs  of 
civilization,  intellectually  and  morally  improved,  to  such  extent 
that  they  desire  to  repudiate  the  senseless  element  in  their  mythi- 
cal and  religious  traditions,  or  to  explain  it  as  reasonable  by  way 
of  allegory.  This  method  of  research  depends  upon  the  science  of 
mind  —  psychology,  and  the  science  of  man  —  anthropology.  It 
may  be  called  the  Anthropological  Method.  The  theory  is  that 
of  "  survival." 

1  Ency.  Brit.,  Mythology. 

2  Chr.  A.  Lobeck,  Aglaophamus  :  On  the  Causes  of  Greek  Mythology.  Cited  by 
Lang. 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  15 

It  is  of  course  probable  that  occasionally  the  questionable  ele- 
ment of  the  myth  originated  in  germs  other  than  savage  curiosity 
and  credulity  :  for  instance,  in  the  adventures  of  some  great  hero, 
or  in  a  disease  of  language  by  which  statements  about  objects 
came  to  be  understood  as  stories  about  persons,  or  perhaps  in  a 
conscious  allegory,  or,  even,  in  the  perversion  of  some  ancient, 
purer  form  of  moral  or  religious  truth.  But,  in  general,  the  root 
of  myth-making  is  to  be  found  in  the  mental  and  social  condition 
of  primitive  man,  the  confused  personality  that  he  extended  to  his 
surroundings,  and  the  belief  in  magical  powers  that  he  conferred 
upon  those  of  his  tribesmen  that  were  shrewdest  and  iTiost  influ- 
ential. This  mental  condition  of  the  myth-maker  should  be 
premised  in  all  scientific  explanations  of  myth-making. 

Then,  with  the  aid  of  the  philological  method  of  interpretation 
and  of  the  euhemeristic,  the  transition  is  intelligible  from  a  personi- 
fication of  the  elements  of  nature  or  an  exaggeration  of  historic 
facts  to  the  notion  of  supernatural  beings  presiding  over,  and 
governing,  the  different  objects  of  nature  —  air,  fire,  water,  the  sun, 
moon,  and  stars,  the  mountains,  forests,  and  streams  —  or  pos- 
sessing marvellous  qualities  of  action,  passion,  virtue,  foresight, 
spirituality,  and  vice. 

The  Greeks,  whose  imagination  was  lively,  peopled  all  nature 
with  such  invisible  inhabitants  and  powers.  In  Greece,  says 
Wordsworth  :  ^  — 

"  In  that  fair  clime  the  lonely  herdsman,  stretched 
On  the  soft  grass  through  half  a  summer's  day, 
With  music  lulled  his  indolent  repose; 
And,  in  some  fit  of  weariness,  if  he, 
When  his  own  breath  was  silent,  chanced  to  hear 
A  distant  strain  far  sweeter  than  the  sounds 
Which  his  poor  skill  could  make,  his  fancy  fetched 
Even  from  the  blazing  chariot  of  the  Sun 
A  beardless  youth  who  touched  a  golden  lute, 
And  filled  the  illumined  groves  with  ravishment. 
The  nightly  hunter,  lifting  up  his  eyes 
Toward  the  crescent  Moon,  with  grateful  heart 

1  Excursion,  Bk.  IV. 


16  CLASSIC  MYTHS  TN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Called  on  the  lovely  Wanderer  who  bestowed 

That  timely  light  to  share  his  joyous  sport; 

And  hence  a  beaming  goddess  with  her  nymphs 

Across  the  lawn  and  through  the  darksome  grove 

(Not  unaccompanied  with  tuneful  notes 

By  echo  multiplied  from  rock  or  cave) 

Swept  in  the  storm  of  chase ;   as  moon  and  stars 

Glance  rapidly  along  the  clouded  heaven 

When  winds  are  blowing  strong.     The  traveller  slaked 

His  thirst  from  rill  or  gushing  fount,  and  thanked 

The  Naiad.     Sunbeams  upon  distant  hills 

Gliding  apace  with  shadows  in  their  train. 

Might,  with  small  help  from  fancy,  be  transformed 

Into  fleet  Oreads  sporting  visibly. 

The  Zephyrs,  fanning,  as  they  passed,  their  wings. 

Lacked  not  for  love  fair  objects  whom  they  wooed 

With  gentle  whisper.     Withered  boughs  grotesque, 

Stripped  of  their  leaves  and  twigs  by  hoary  age, 

From  depth  of  shaggy  covert  peeping  forth 

In  the  low  vale,  or  on  steep  mountain  side; 

And  sometimes  intermixed  with  stirring  horns 

Of  the  live  deer,  or  goat's  depending  beard; 

These  were  the  lurking  Satyrs,  a  wild  brood 

Of  gamesome  deities;   or  Pan  himself, 

The  simple  shepherd's  awe-inspiring  god." 

The  phases  of  significance  and  beauty  through  which  the  physi- 
cal or  natural  myth  may  develop  are  expressed  with  poetic  grace 
by  Ruskin,  in  his  "Queen  of  the  Air.'"  The  reader  must,  however, 
guard  against  the  supposition  that  any  myth  has  sprung  into  exist- 
ence fully  equipped  with  physical,  religious,  and  moral  import. 
Ruskin  himself  says,  "  Tp  the  mean  person  the  myth  always  meant 
•  little  ;  to  the  noble  person,  much."  Accordingly,  as  we  know,  to 
the  savage  the  myth  was  savage ;  to  the  devotee  it  became  relig- 
ious ;  to  the  artist,  beautiful ;  to  the  philosopher,  recondite  and 
significant  —  in  the  course  of  centuries. 

1  Concerning  which  may  be  accepted  the  verdict  that  Mr.  Ruskin  passes  upon 
Payne  Knight's  Symbolical  Language  of  Ancient  Art,  "  Not  trustworthy,  being 
little  more  than  a  mass  of  conjectural  memoranda ;  but  the  heap  is  suggestive,  if 
well  sifted." 


ORIGIN  AND  ELEMENTS   OF  MYTH.  17 

"If  we  seek,"  says  Ruskin,  "  to  ascertain  the  manner  in  which 
the  story  first  crystallized  into  its  shape,  we  shall  find  ourselves 
led  back  generally  to  one  or  other  of  two  sources  —  either  to 
actual  historical  events,  represented  by  the  fancy  under  figures 
personifying  them,  or  else  to  natural  phenomena  similarly  endowed 
with  life  by  the  imaginative  power,  usually  more  or  less  under  the 
influence  of  terror.  The  historical  myths  we  must  leave  the  mas- 
ters of  history  to  follow  ;  they,  and  the  events  they  record,  being 
yet  involved  in  great,  though  attractive  and  penetrable,  myster}'. 
But  the  stars  and  hills  and  storms  are  with  us  now,  as  they  were 
with  others  of  old  ;  and  it  only  needs  that  we  look  at  them  with 
the  earnestness  of  those  childish  eyes  to  understand  the  first  words 
spokerT  of  them  by  the  children  of  men.  And  then,  in  all  the 
most  beautiful  and  enduring  myths,  we  shall  find  not  only  a  Hteral 
story  of  a  real  person  —  not  only  a  parallel  imagery  of  moral 
principle  —  but  an  underlying  worship  of  natural  phenomena,  out  • 
of  which  both  have  sprung,  and  in  which  both  forever  remain 
rooted.  Thus,  from  the  real  sun,  rising  and  setting ;  from  the 
real  atmosphere,  calm  in  its  dominion  of  unfading  blue  and  fierce 
in  its  descent  of  tempest  —  the  Greek  forms  first  the  idea  of  two 
entirely  personal  and  corporeal  gods  (Apollo  and  Athena),  whose  - 
limbs  are  clothed  in  divine  flesh,  and  whose  brows  are  crowned 
with  divine  beauty ;  yet  so  real  that  the  quiver  rattles  at  their 
shoulder,  and  the  chariot  bends  beneath  their  weight.  And,  on 
the  other  hand,  collaterally  with  these  corporeal  images,  and  never 
for  one  instant  separated  from  them,  he  conceives  also  two  omni- 
present spiritual  influences,  of  which  one  illuminates,  as  the  sun, 
with  a  constant  fire,  whatever  in  humanity  is  skilful  and  wise  ;  and 
the  other,  like  the  living  air,  breathes  the  calm  of  heavenly  forti- 
tude and  strength  of  righteous  anger  into  every  human  breast  that 
is  pure  and  brave. 

"  Now,  therefore,  in  nearly  every  myth  of  importance,  .  .  .  you 
have  to  discern  these  three  structural  parts  —  the  root  and  the  two 
branches.  The  root,  in  physical  existence,  sun,  or  sky,  or  cloud, 
or  sea  ;  then  the  personal  incarnation  of  that,  becoming  a  trusted 


18  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LLTERATURE. 

and  companionable  deity,  with  whom  you  may  walk  hand  in  hand, 
as  a  child  with  its  brother  or  its  sister ;  and  lastly,  the  moral  sig- 
nificance of  the  image,  which  is  in  all  the  great  myths  eternally 
and  beneficently  true." 

Myth,  in  fine,  "  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  mere  error  and  folly, 
but  as  an  interesting  product  of  the  human  mind.  It  is  sham 
history,  the  fictitious  narrative  of  events  that  never  happened."  ^ 
But  that  is  not  the  full  statement  of  the  case.  Myth  is  also  actual 
history  of  early  and  imperfect  stages  of  thought  and  belief:  it  is 
the  true  narrative  of  unenlightened  observation,  of  infantine  grop- 
ings  after  truth.  Whatever  reservations  scholars  may  make  on 
other  points,  most  of  them  will  concur  in  these  :  that  some  myths 
came  into  existence  by  a  "  disease  of  language  "  ;  that  some  were 
invented  to  explain  names  of  nations  and  of  places,  and  some 
to  explain  the  existence  of  fossils  and  bones  that  suggested  pre- 
historic animals  and  men ;  that  many  were  invented  to  gratify  the 
ancestral  pride  of  chieftains  and  clans,  and  that  very  many  obtained 
consistency  and  form  as  explanations  of  the  phenomena  of  nature, 
as  expressions  of  the  reverence  felt  for  the  powers  of  nature,  and 
as  personifications,  in  general,  of  the  passions  and  the  ideals  of 
primitive  mankind.^ 

1  E.  B.  Tylor,  .A.nthropology,  p.  387.     New  York,  1881. 

2  See  also  L.  Preller,  Griechische  Mythologie,  I.  19.  Max  Miiller,  Comparative 
Mythology,  Oxford  Essays,  1856,  p.  1-87 ;  also  Science  of  Religion,  1873,  p.  335- 
403;  Philosophy  of  Mythology ;  and  Sci.  of  Lang.,  7th  ed.,  II.  421-571.  Hermann 
Paul,  Grundriss  d.  Germ.  Phil.  Bd.  i,  Lfg.  5,  982-995,  Mythologie  (von  E.  Mogk). 


DISTRIBUriOX  OF  MYTHS.  19 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    DISTRIBUTION    OF    MYTHS. 

§  9.  Several  theories  of  the  appearance  of  the  same  explanatory 
or  aesthetic  myth,  under  various  guises,  in  lands  remote  one  from 
another,  have  been  advanced ;  but  none  of  them  fully  unveils 
the  mystery.  The  difficulty  lies  not  so  much  in  accounting  for  the 
similarity  of  thought  or  material  in  different  stories,  as  for  the 
resemblance  in  isolated  incidents  and  in  the  arrangement  of  inci- 
dents or  plot.  The  principal  theories  of  the  distribution  of  myths 
are  as  follows  :  — 

(i)  That  the  resemblances  between  the  myths  of  different 
nations  are  purely  accidental.  This  theory  leaves  us  no  wiser 
than  we  were. 

(2)  That  the  stories  have  been  borrowed  by  one  nation  from 
another.  This  will  account  for  exchange  only  between  nations 
historically  acquainted  with  each  other.  It  will  not  account  for 
the  existence  of  the  same  arrangement  of  incidents  in  a  Greek 
myth  and  in  a  Polynesian  romance. 

(3)  That  all  myths,  if  traced  chronologically  backward,  and 
geographically  from  land  to  land,  will  be  found  to  have  originated 
in  India}  This  theory  fails  to  account  for  numerous  stories  cur- 
rent among  the  modern  nationalities  of  Europe,  of  Africa,  and 
of  India  itself.  It  leaves  also  unexplained  the  existence  of  certain 
myths  in  Egypt  many  centuries  before  India  had  any  known  his- 
tory :  such  as,  in  all  probability,  the  Egyptian  myth  of  Osiris. 
The  theory,  therefore,  is  open  to  the  objection  made  to  the  theory 
of  borrowing. 

(4)  That  similar  myths  are  based  upon  historical  traditions 
similar  in  various  countries,  or  inherited  from  some  mother  coun- 

1  Benfey  and  Cosquin.     See  Lang's  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Religion,  II.  299. 


20  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

try.  But,  although  some  historical  myths  may  have  descended 
from  a  mother  race,  it  has  already  been  demonstrated  (§  7.  i)  that 
the  historical  (Euhemeristic)  hypothesis  is  inadequate.  It  is,  more- 
over, not  likely  that  many  historical  incidents  like  those  related  in 
the  Iliad  and  the  Odyssey  happened  in  the  same  order,  and  as 
actual  history,  in  Asia  Minor,  Ithaca,  Persia,  and  Norway.  But 
we  find  myths  containing  such  incidents  in  all  these  countries.^ 

(5)  That  the  Aryan  tribes  (from  which  the  Indians,  Persians, 
Phrygians,  Greeks,  Romans,  Germans,  Norsemen,  Russians,  and 
Celts  are  descended)  "  started  from  a  common  centre "  in  the 
highlands  of  Northern  India,  "  and  that  from  their  ancient  home 
they  must  have  carried  away,  if  not  the  developed  myth,  yet  the 
quickening  germ  from  which  might  spring  leaves  and  fruits,  vary- 
ing in  form  and  hue  according  to  the  soil  to  which  it  should  be 
committed  and  the  climate  under  which  the  plant  might  reach 
maturity."-  Against  this  theory,  it  may  be  urged  that  stories 
having  only  the  undeveloped  germ  or  idea  in  common  would  not, 
with  any  probability,  after  they  had  been  developed  independently 
of  each  other,  possess  the  remarkable  resemblance  in  details  that 
many  widely  separated  myths  display.  Moreover,  the^assumption 
of  this  common  stock  considers  only  Aryan  tribes :  it  ignores 
Africans,  Mongolians,  American  Indians,  and  other  peoples  whose 
myths  resemble  the  Aryan,  but  are  not  traceable  to  the  same 

I  original  germ.  The  Aryan  germ-theory  has,  however,  the  merit 
of  explaining  resemblances  between  many  myths  of  different  Aryan 
nations. 

(6)  That  the  existence  of  similar  incidents  or  situations  is  to 
be  explained  as  resulting  from  the  common  facts  of  human 
thought,  experience,  and  sentiment.  This  may  be  called  the 
psychological  theory.     It  was  entertained  by  Grimm,  and  goes  hand 

1  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Religion,  II.  300;  Cox,  Mythology  of  the  Aryan 
Nations,  I.  100. 

*  The  Rev.  Sir  G.  W.  Cox,  Mythology  of  Aryan  Nations,  I.  99;  also,  same 
theory.  Max  Miiller's  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop;  Andrew  Lang,  Myth, 
Ritual,  and  Religion,  II.  297. 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  MYTHS.  21 

in  hand  with  the  anthropological,  or  "  survivalist,"  explanation  of 
the  elements  of  myth.  "  In  the  long  history  of  mankind,"  says 
Mr.  Andrew  Lang,  "  it  is  impossible  to  deny  that  stories  may 
conceivably  have  spread  from  a  single  centre,  and  been  handed 
on  from  races  like  the  Indo-European  and  Semitic  to  races  as 
far  removed  from  them  in  every  way  as  the  Zulus,  the  Australians, 
the  Eskimo,  the  natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands.  But  while 
the  possibility  of  the  diffusion  of  myths  by  borrowing  and  trans- 
mission must  be  allowed  for,  the  hypothesis  of  the  origin  of  myths 
in  the  savage  state  of  the  intellect  supplies  a  ready  explanation 
of  their  wide  diffusion."  Many  products  of  early  art  —  clay  bowls 
and  stone  weapons — are  peculiar  to  no  one  national  taste  or  skill, 
they  are  what  might  have  been  expected  of  human  conditions 
and  intelligence.  "  Many  myths  may  be  called  '  human '  in  this 
sense.  They  are  the  rough  product  of  the  early  human  mind,  and 
are  not  yet  characterized  by  the  differentiations  of  race  and  cul- 
ture. Such  myths  might  spring  up  anywhere  among  untutored 
men,  and  anywhere  might  survive  into  civilized  literature."  ^ 

The  distribution  of  myth,  like  its  origin,  is  inexplicable  by  any 
one  theory.  The  discovery  of  racial  families  and  of  family  tradi- 
tions narrows  the  problem,  but  does  not  solve  it.  The  existence 
of  the  same  story  in  unrelated  nationalities  remains  a  perplexing 
fact,  toward  the  explanation  of  which  the  theories  of  "  borrow- 
ing "  and  of  "  similar  historic  tradition,"  while  plausible,  are  but 
unsubstantiated  contributions.  And  until  we  possess  the  earliest 
records  of  those  unrelated  nationalities  that  have  similar  myths, 
or  until  we  discover  monuments  and  log-books  of  some  commer- 
cial nation  that,  in  prehistoric  times,  circumnavigated  the  globe, 
and  deposited  on  remote  shores  and  islands  the  seeds  of  the 
parent  mythic  plant,  we  must  accept  as  our  only  scientific  ex- 
planation the  psychological,  or  so-called  human,  theory  :  —  Given 
similar  mental  condition  with  similar  surroundings,  similar  imagi- 
native products,  called  myths,  will  result.^ 

1  Ency.  Brit.,  gth  ed.,  article,  Mythology.  Cf.  Tylor's  Primitive  Culture,  I.  369; 
Tylor's  Anthropology,  397. 

2  See  T.  C.  Johnston's  Did  the  Phosnicians  Discover  America  ?     1892. 


22  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS. 

§  lo.  Before  the  introduction  of  writing,  myths  were  preser\'ed 
in  popular  traditions,  in  the  sacred  ceremonials  of  colleges  of 
priests,  in  the  narratives  chanted  by  families  of  minstrels  or  by 
professional  bards  wandering  from  village  to  village  —  from  court 
to  court,  and  in  occasional  hymns  sung  by  privileged  harpists,  like 
Demodocus  of  Phaeacia,^  in  honor  of  a  chieftain,  an  ancestor,  or 
a  god.  Many  of  these  early  bards  are  mere  names  to  us.  Most 
of  them  are  probably  as  mythical  as  the  songs  with  which  they  are 
accredited.  The  following  is  a  brief  account  of  mythical  prophets, 
of  mythical  musicians  and  poets,  and  of  the  actual  poets  and  his- 
torians who  recorded  the  mythologies  from  which  English  literature 
draws  its  classical  myths  :  the  Greek,  the  Roman,  the  Norse,  and 
the  German. 

§11.  In  Greece.  —  ( i )  Mythical  Prophets.  —  To  some  of  the 
oldest  bards  was  attributed  the  gift  of  prophecy.  Indeed,  nearly 
every  expedition  of  mythology  was  accompanied  by  one  of  these 
seers,  priests,  or  "  medicine-men,"  as  we  might  call  them. 

Melampus  was  the  first  Greek  said  to  be  endowed  with  prophetic 
powers.  Before  his  house  there  stood  an  oak  tree  containing  a 
serpent's  nest.  The  old  serpents  were  killed  by  the  slaves,  but 
Melampus  saved  the  young  ones.  One  day  when  he  was  asleep 
under  the  oak,  the  serpents  licked  his  ears  with  their  tongues, 
enabling  him  to  understand  the  language  of  birds  and  creeping 
things.-     At  one  time   his  enemies  seized  and  imprisoned  him. 

1  Odyssey  8:  250.  ^  cf.  the  experience  of  Sigurd,  \  185. 


PRESER  VA  TION  OF  MYTHS.  23 

But  Melampus  in  the  silence  of  the  night  heard  from  the  wood- 
worms in  the  timbers  that  the  supports  of  the  house  were  nearly 
eaten  through  and  the  roof  would  soon  fall  in.  He  told  his  captors. 
They  took  his  warning,  escaped  destruction,  rewarded  the  prophet, 
and  held  him  in  high  honor. 

Other  famous  soothsayers  were  Amphiaraiis,  who  took  part  in 
the  War  of  the  Seven  against  Thebes ;  Calchas,  who  accompanied 
the  Greeks  during  the  Trojan  War ;  Helenus  and  Cassandra,  of 
King  Priam's  family,  who  prophesied  for  the  Trojan  forces  ;  Tire- 
sias,  the  blind  prophet  of  Thebes  ;  and  Mopsus,  who  attended  the 
Argonauts.  The  stories  of  these  expeditions  will  follow  in  due 
course. 

(2)  Mythical  Musiciatis  and  Poets.  —  Since  the  poets  of  an- 
tiquity sang  their  stories  or  hymns  to  an  accompaniment  of  their 
own  upon  the  harp  or  lyre,  they  were  skilled  in  the  art  of  music 
as  well  as  in  that  of  verse. 

Orpheus,  whose  adventures  are  elsewhere  narrated,'  passes  in 
tradition  for  the  oldest  of  Greek  lyrists,  and  the  special  favorite, 
even  the  son,  of  the  god  Apollo,  patron  of  musicians.  This  Thra- 
cian  bard  is  said  to  have  taught  mysterious  truths  concerning  the 
origin  of  things  and  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  But  the  fragments 
of  Orphic  Hymns  which  are  attributed  to  him  are  probably  the 
work  of  philosophers  of  a  much  later  period  in  Greek  literature. 

Another  Thracian  bard,  Thamyris,  is  said  in  his  presumption  to 
have  challenged  the  Muses  to  a  trial  of  skill.  Conquered  in  the 
contest,  he  was  deprived  of  his  sight.  To  Musaeus,  the  son  of 
Orpheus,  was  attributed  a  hymn  on  the  Eleusinian  Mysteries,-  and 
other  sacred  poems  and  oracles.  Milton  couples  his  name  with 
that  of  Orpheus  :  — 

"  But  O,  sad  virgin,  that  thy  power 
Might  raise  Musxus  from  his  bower, 
Or  bid  the  soul  of  Orpheus  sing 
Such  notes  as  warbled  to  the  string, 

1  \  \<yj.  2  ^  106,  and  Commentary. 


24  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LIT  ERA  TURE. 

Drew  iron  tears  down  Pluto's  cheek, 

And  made  Hell  grant  what  love  did  seek."  ^ 

Other  legendary  bards  or  musicians  were  Linus,  Marsyas,  and 
Amphion.^ 

(3)  The  Poets  of  Mythology.  —  Homer,  from  whose  poems  of 
the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  we  have  taken  the  chief  part  of  our 
chapters  on  the  Trojan  War  and  the  return  of  the  Grecians,  is 
almost  as  mythical  a  personage  as  the  heroes  he  celebrates.  The 
traditionary  story  is  that  he  was  a  wandering  minstrel,  blind  and 
old,  who  travelled  from  place  to  place  singing  his  lays  to  the  music 
of  his  harp,  in  the  courts  of  princes  or  the  cottages  of  peasants, 
—  a  dependant  upon  the  voluntary  offerings  of  his  hearers.  Byron 
calls  him  "  the  blind  old  man  of  Scio's  rocky  isle  " ;  and  a  well- 
known  epigram,  alluding  to  the  uncertainty  of  the  fact  of  his  birth- 
place, runs : — 

"  Seven  wealthy  towns  contend  for  Homer  dead, 
Through  which  the  living  Homer  begged  his  bread." 

These  seven  places  were  Smyrna,  Chios  (now  Scio),  Colophon, 
Ithaca,  Pylus,  Argos,  and  Athens. 

Modern  scholars  have  doubted  whether  the  Homeric  poems 
are  the  work  of  any  single  mind.  This  uncertainty  arises,  in  part, 
from  the  difficulty  of  believing  that  poems  of  such  length  could 
have  been  committed  to  writing  in  the  age  usually  assigned  to 
these,  when  materials  capable  of  transmitting  long  productions 
were  not  yet  in  use.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  asked  how  poems 
of  such  length  could  have  been  handed  down  from  age  to  age 
by  means  of  the  memory  alone.  This  question  is  answered  by 
the  statement  that  there  was  a  professional  body  of  men  whose 
business  it  was  to  commit  to  memory,  and  rehearse  for  pay,  the 
national  and  patriotic  legends. 

Pisistratus  of  Athens  ordered  a  commission  of  scholars  (about 

1  II  Penseroso,  11.  103-108. 

2  See  J  78  Linus,  §  84  Marsyas,  §  64  Amphion ;  and  Commentary. 


PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS.  25 

537  B.C.)  to  collect  and  revise  the  Homeric  poems;  and  it  is 
probable  that  at  that  time  certain  passages  of  the  Iliad  and 
Odyssey,  as  we  now  have  them,  were  interpolated.  Beside  the 
Iliad  and  the  Odyssey,  many  other  epics  passed  in  antiquity  under 
Homer's  name.  The  so-called  Homeric  Hymns  to  the  gods  which 
were  composed,  by  various  poets,  after  the  death  of  Homer,  are 
a  source  of  valuable  information  concerning  the  attributes  of  the 
divinities  addressed. 

The  date  assigned  to  Homer,  on  the  authority  of  Herodotus,  is 
850  B.C.  The  presenation  and  further  fashioning  of  myths  fell, 
after  Homer's  time,  into  the  hands  of  the  Rhapsodists,  who  chanted 
epic  songs,  and  of  the  Cyclic  Poets,  who  elaborated  into  various 
epic  circles,  or  completed  wholes,  neglected  traditions  of  the 
Trojan  ^^'ar  and  myths  of  the  two  wars  against  Thebes.' 

Hesiod  is,  like  Homer,  one  of  the  most  important  sources  of 
our  knowledge  of  Greek  mythology.  He  is  thought  by  some  to 
have  been  a  contemporary  of  Homer,  but  concerning  the  relative 
dates  of  the  two  poets  there  is  no  certainty.  Hesiod  was  born 
in  Ascra  in  Boeotia ;  he  spent  his  youth  as  a  shepherd  on  Mount 
Helicon,  his  manhood  in  the  neighborhood  of  Corinth,  and  wrote 
two  great  poems,  the  Works  and  Days,  and  the  Theogony,  or 
Genealogy  of  the  Gods.  From  the  former  we  obtain  a  connected 
account  of  Greek  traditions  concerning  the  primitive  commodities 
of  life,  the  arts  of  agriculture  and  navigation,  the  sacred  calendar, 
and  the  various  prehistoric  ages.  From  the  latter  poem  we  learn 
the  Greek  mythology  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  the  family  of 
the  gods,  their  wars,  and  their  attitude  toward  primaeval  man. 
While  Hesiod  may  have  written  at  a  somewhat  later  period  than 
Homer,  it  is  noteworthy  that  his  stories  of  the  gods  have  more  of 
the  savage  or  senseless  element  than  Homer's.  The  artist  of  the 
IHad  and  the  Odyssey  seems  to  have  refined  the  stories  into  poetic 
gold ;  Hesiod  has  gathered  them  in  the  ore  like  so  many  speci- 
mens for  a  museum. 

A  company  of  Lyric  Poets,  of  whom  Stesichorus  (620  b.c), 

1  \\  163-164  a. 


26  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Alcaeus  (6ii  b.c),  Sappho  (6io  b.c),  Arion  (600  b.c),  Simonides 
of  Ceos  (556  B.C.),  Ibycus  (540  b.c),  Anacreon  (530  b.c),  and 
Pindar  (522  b.c)  are  the  most  prominent,  have  contributed  much 
to  our  knowledge  of  mythology.  They  have  left  us  hymns  to  the 
gods,  references  to  mythical  heroes,  and  accounts  of  more  or  less 
pathetic  legendary  adventures. 

Of  the  works  of  Sappho  few  fragments  remain,  but  they  estab- 
lish her  claim  to  eminent  poetical  genius.  Her  story  is  frequently 
alluded  to.  Being  passionately  in  love  with  a  beautiful  youth 
named  Phaon,  and  failing  to  obtain  a  return  of  affection,  she  is 
said  to  have  thrown  herself  from  the  promontory  of  Leucadia 
into  the  sea,  under  a  superstition  that  those  who  should  take 
that  "  Lover's-leap  "  would,  if  not  destroyed,  be  cured  of  their 
love. 

Of  Arion  the  greatest  work  was  a  dithyramb  or  choral  hymn  to 
the  god  of  wine.  It  is  said  that  his  music  and  song  were  of  such 
sweetness  as  to  charm  the  monsters  of  the  sea ;  and  that  when 
thrown  overboard  on  one  occasion  by  avaricious  seamen,  he  was 
borne  safely  to  land  by  an  admiring  dolphin.  Spenser  represents 
Arion,  mounted  on  his  dolphin,  accompanying  the  train  of  Nep- 
tune and  Amphitrite  :  — 

"  Then  was  there  heard  a  most  celestial  sound 
Of  dainty  music  which  did  next  ensue, 
And,  on  the  floating  waters  as  enthroned, 
Arion  with  his  harp  unto  him  drew 
The  ears  and  hearts  of  all  that  goodly  crew; 
Even  when  as  yet  the  dolphin  which  him  bore 
Through  the  /Egean  seas  from  pirates'  view, 
Stood  still,  by  him  astonished  at  his  lore, 
And  all  the  raging  seas  for  joy  forgot  to  roar." 

Simonides  was  one  of  the  most  prolific  of  the  early  poets  of 
Greece,  but  only  a  few  fragments  of  his  compositions  have  de- 
scended to  us.  He  wrote  hymns,  triumphal  odes,  and  elegies, 
and  in  the  last  species  of  composition  he  particularly  excelled. 
His  genius  was  inclined  to  the  pathetic ;  none  could  touch  with 


PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS.  27 

truer  effect  the  chords  of  human  sympathy.  The  Lamentation 
of  Danae,  the  most  important  of  the  fragments  which  remain  of 
his  poetry,  is  based  upon  the  tradition  that  Danae  and  her  infant 
son  were  confined  by  order  of  her  father  Acrisius  in  a  chest  and 
set  adrift  on  the  sea.  The  myth  of  her  son,  Perseus,  will-  be 
found  in  a  later  chapter  of  this  book.' 

Myths  received  their  freest  and  perhaps  most  ideal  treatment 
at  the  hands  of  the  greatest  lyric  poet  of  Greece,  Pindar  (522  B.C.). 
In  his  hymns  and  songs  of  praise  to  gods  and  in  his  odes  com- 
posed for  the  victors  in  the  national  athletic  contests,  he  was 
accustomed  to  use  the  mythical  exploits  of  Greek  heroes  as  a  text 
from  which  to  draw  morals  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

The  three  great  Tragic  Poets  of  Greece  have  handed  down  to 
us  a  wealth  of  mythological  material.  From  the  plays  of  ^schylus 
(525  B.C.)  we  gather,  among  other  noble  lessons,  the  fortunes  of 
the  family  of  Agamemnon,  the  narrative  of  the  expedition  against 
Thebes,  the  sufferings  of  Prometheus  —  benefactor  of  men.  In 
the  tragedies  of  Sophocles  (495  B.C.)  we  have  a  further  account 
of  the  family  of  Agamemnon,  myths  of  Oedipus  of  Thebes  and 
his  children,  stories  connected  with  the  Trojan  War,  and  the  last 
adventure  and  the  death  of  Hercules.  Of  the  dramas  of  Euripides 
(480  B.C.)  there  remain  to  us  seventeen,  in  which  are  found 
stories  of  the  daughters  of  Agamemnon,  the  rare  and  beautiful 
narrative  of  Alcestis,  and  the  adventures  of  Medea.  All  of  these 
stories  will  be  recounted  in  their  proper  places. 

The  Comedies  of  Aristophanes,  also,  are  replete  with  matters  of 
mythological  import. 

Of  the  later  poets  of  mythology,  only  two  need  be  mentioned 
here,  —  Apollonius  of  Rhodes  (194  B.C.),  who  wrote  in  frigid  style 
the  story  of  Jason's  Voyage  for  the  Golden  Fleece ;  and  Theoc- 
ritus of  Sicily  (270  B.C.),  whose  rural  idylls  are  at  once  charm- 
ingly natural  and  romantic.- 

'  \h  133-137- 

2  For  other  authorities,  and  for  a  few  standard  translations  of  the  Greek  Classics, 
see  Commentary,  \  11. 


28  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

(4)  Historians  of  Mythology.  —  The  earliest  narrators  in  prose 
of  the  myths,  legends,  and  genealogies  of  Greece  lived  about 
600  B.C.  Herodotus,  the  "father  of  history"  (484  B.C.),  embalms 
various  myths  in  his  account  of  the  conflicts  between  Asia  and 
Greece.  ApoUodorus  (140  b.c.)  gathers  the  legends  of  Greece 
into  three  books  called  a  Library  of  Greek  Mythology.  That 
delightful  traveller  Pausanias  makes  special  mention  in  his  Tour 
of  Greece,  of  the  sacred  customs  and  legends  that  had  maintained 
themselves  as  late  as  his  time  (160  a.d.).  Lucian,  in  his  Dialogues 
of  the  Gods  and  Dialogues  of  the  Dead,  awakens  '  inextinguishable 
laughter '  by  his  satire  on  ancient  faith  and  fable. 

§  12.  Roman  Poets  of  Mythology.  — Vergil,  called  also  by  his 
surname,  Maro,  from  whose  poem  of  the  ^'Eneid  we  have  taken 
the  story  of  ^neas,  was  one  of  the  great  poets  who  made  the 
age  of  the  Roman  emperor,  Augustus,  celebrated.  Vergil  was 
born  in  Mantua  in  the  year  70  B.C.  His  great  poem  is  ranked 
next  to  those  of  Homer,  in  that  noble  class  of  poetical  composi- 
tion, the  epic.  Vergil  is  inferior  to  Homer  in  originality  and 
invention.  The  ^neid,  written  in  an  age  of  culture  and  science, 
lacks  that  charming  atmosphere  of  behef  which  invests  the  naive, 
or  popular,  epic.  The  myths  concerning  the  founding  of  Rome, 
which  Vergil  has  received  from  earlier  writers,  he  has  here  fused 
into  a  literary  epic.  But  what  the  ^-Eneid  lacks  of  epic  simplicity, 
it  makes  up  in  patriotic  spirit,  in  lofty  moral  and  civic  ideals,  in 
correctness  of  taste,  and  in  stylistic  form. 

Ovid,  often  alluded  to  in  poetry  by  his  other  name,  Naso,  was 
born  in  the  year  43  b.c.  He  was  educated  for  public  life,  and 
held  some  offices  of  considerable  dignity ;  but  poetry  was  his 
dehght,  and  he  early  resolved  to  cultivate  it.  He  accordingly 
sought  the  society  of  .contemporary  poets,  and  was  acquainted 
with  Horace  and  saw  Vergil,  though  the  latter  died  when  Ovid 
was  yet  too  young  and  undistinguished  to  have  formed  his 
acquaintance.  Ovid  spent  an  easy  life  at  Rome  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  competent  income.  He  was  intimate  with  the  family 
of  Augustus,  the  emperor ;  and  it  is  supposed  that  some  serious 


PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS.  29 

offence  given  to  a  member  of  that  family  was  the  cause  of  an 
event  which  reversed  the  poet's  happy  circumstances,  and  clouded 
the  latter  portion  of  his  life.  At  the  age  of  fifty  he  was  ban- 
ished from  Rome,  and  ordered  to  betake  himself  to  Tomi,  on  the 
borders  of  the  Black  Sea.  His  only  consolation  in  exile  was  to 
address  his  wife  and  absent  friends.  His  letters  were  all  in  verse. 
They  are  called  the  "  Tristia,"  or  Sorrows,  and  Letters  from  Pontus. 
The  two  great  works  of  Ovid  are  his  "Metamorphoses,"  or  Trans- 
formations, and  his  "  Fasti,"  or  Poetic  Calendar.  They  are  both 
mythological  poems,  and  from  the  former  we  have  taken  most  of 
our  stories  of  Grecian  and  Roman  mythology.  These  poems  have 
thus  been  characterized  :  — 

"  The  rich  mythology  of  Greece  furnished  Ovid,  as  it  may  still 
furnish  the  poet,  the  painter,  and  the  sculptor,  with  materials  for 
his  art.  With  exquisite  taste,  simplicity,  and  pathos  he  has  nar- 
rated the  fabulous  traditions  of  early  ages,  and  given  to  them  that 
appearance  of  reality  which  only  a  master-hand  could  impart. 
His  pictures  of  nature  are  striking  and  true ;  he  selects  with  care 
that  which  is  appropriate  ;  he  rejects  the  superfluous,  and  when 
he  has  completed  his  work,  it  is  neither  defective  nor  redundant. 
The  '  Metamorphoses '  are  read  with  pleasure  by  the  young  and 
old  of  every  civilized  land." 

In  an  incidental  manner,  Horace,  the  prince  of  Roman  lyric 
poets,  and  the  lyric  and  elegiac  writers,  Catullus,  Tibullus,  and 
Propertius,  have  liberally  increased  our  knowledge  of  Greek  and 
Roman  myth.* 

Seneca,  the  teacher  of  Nero,  is  best  known  for  his  philosophical 
treatises ;  but  he  wrote,  also,  tragedies,  the  materials  of  which  are 
well  known  Greek  legends.  Apuleius,  born  in  Africa,  114  a.d., 
interests  us  as  the  inventor  of  a  clever  romance,  The  Golden 
Ass ;  the  most  pleasing  episode  of  which,  the  story  of  Cupid  and 
Psyche,  will  hereafter  be  related.^ 

1  With  regard  to  translations  of  these  and  other  Latin  poets,  see  Commentary, 
\  12. 

2  Translation  in  Walter  Pater's  Marias  the  Epicurean. 


30  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  13.  Records  of  Norse  Mythology. — A  system  of  mythology 
of  especial  interest,  —  as  belonging  to  the  race  from  which  we, 
through  our  English  ancestors,  derive  our  origin,  —  is  that  of  the 
Norsemen,  who  inhabited  the  countries  now  known  as  Sweden, 
Denmark,  Norway,  and  Iceland.  Their  mythological  lore  has 
been  transmitted  by  means  of  Runes,  Skaldic  poems,  the  Eddas, 
and  the  Sagas. 

The  Runes.  —  The  earliest  method  of  writing  prevalent  among 
the  Norsemen  was  by  runes.  The  word  means  hidden  lore,  or 
mystery.  The  earliest  runes  were  merely  fanciful  signs  supposed 
to  possess  mysterious  power.  As  a  synonym  for  writing,  the  term 
was  first  applied  to  the  Northern  alphabet,  itself  derived  from 
ancient  Greek  and  Roman  coins.  Of  the  old  Scandinavian  runes 
several  specimens  have  been  found — one  an  inscription  on  a 
golden  horn  of  the  third  or  fourth  century  a.d.,  which  was  dug 
up  in  Schleswig  a  hundred  and  sixty  years  ago ;  another,  on  a 
stone  at  Tune  in  Norway.  From  such  an  alphabet  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  runes  were  derived.  Inscriptions  in  later  Scandinavian  runes 
have  been  discovered  in  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  the  Isle  of  Man. 
The  characters  are  of  the  stiff  and  angular  form  necessitated  by  the 
materials  on  which  they  were  inscribed  :  tombstones,  spoons,  chairs, 
oars,  and  so  forth.^  It  is  doubtful  whether  mythological  poems 
were  ever  written  in  this  way ;  dedications  to  pagan  deities,  ditties 
of  the  eleventh  century,  and  love-spells  have,  however,  been  found. 

The  Skaldic  Poems.  —  The  bards  and  poets  of  the  Norsemen 
were  the  Skalds.  They  were  the  depositaries  of  whatever  historic 
lore  there  was ;  and  it  was  their  office  to  mingle  something  of 
intellectual  gratification  with  the  rude  feasts  of  the  warriors,  by  re- 
hearsing, with  such  accompaniments  of  poetry  and  music  as  their 
skill  could  afford,  the  exploits  of  heroes  living  or  dead.  Such 
songs  were  called  Drapas.  The  origin  of  Skaldic  poetry  is  lost 
in  mythic  or  prehistoric  darkness,  but  the  Skalds  of  Iceland  con- 
tinued to  play  a  most  important  part  in  the  literary  development 

1  Cleasby  and  Vigfusson's  Icelandic-English  Dictionary.  See  also  Commen- 
tary. 


PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS.  31 

of  the  north  as  late  as  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century.  With- 
out their  cooperation,  the  greater  part  of  the  songs  and  Sagas  of 
genuine  antiquity  could  hardly  have  reached  us.  The  Skaldic 
diction  which  was  polished  to  an  artistic  extreme,  with  its  pagan 
metaphors  and  similes,  retained  its  supremacy  over  literary  form 
even  after  the  influence  of  Christianity  had  revolutionized  national 
thought.' 

The  Eddas.  —  The  chief  mythological  records  of  the  Norse  are 
the  Eddas  and  the  Sagas.  The  word  Edda  has  usually  been  con- 
nected with  the  Icelandic  for  great-grandmother ;-  it  has  also 
been  regarded  as  a  corruption  of  the  High  German  Erda,  Mother 
Earth,  from  whom,  according  to  the  lay  in  which  the  word  first 
occurs,  the  earliest  race  of  mankind  sprang,'  —  or  as  the  point  or 
head  of  Norse  poetry,*  or  as  a  tale  concerned  with  death^  or  as 
derived  from  Odde,  the  home  of  the  reputed  collector  of  the 
Elder  Edda.  But,  of  recent  years,  scholars  have  looked  with 
most  favor  upon  a  derivation  from  the  Icelandic  08 r,  which  means 
mind,  or  poetry.^  There  are  two  Icelandic  collections  called 
Eddas:  Snorri's  and  Saemund's.  Until  the  year  1643  the  name 
was  applied  to  a  book,  principally  in  prose,  containing  Mythical 
Tales,  a  Treatise  on  the  Poetic  Art  and  Diction,  a  Poem  on  Metres, 
and  a  Rhymed  Glossary  of  Synonyms,  with  an  appendix  of  minor 
treatises  on  grammar  and  rhetoric  —  the  whole  intended  as  a  guide 
for  poets.  Although  a  note  in  the  Upsala  manuscript,  of  date 
about  1300  A.D.,  asserted  that  this  work  was  "put  together"  by 
Snorri  Sturlason,  who  lived  11 78-1 241,  the  world  was  not  in- 
formed of  the  fact  until  1609,  then  Arngrim  Johnsson  made  the 
announcement  in  his  Constitutional  History  of  Iceland."     While 

1  F.  W.  Horn's  Geschichte  d.  Literatur  d.  Skandinavischen  Nordens,  27-42. 

2  Cleasby  and  Vigfusson's  Dictionary ;  Liining's  Die  Ekida,  1859. 

•  The  Lay  of  Righ  in  Snorri's  Edda ;  Vigfusson  and  Powell's  Corpus  Poeticum 
Boreale,  II.  514.  <  Jacob  Grimm. 

5  The  Celtic  aideadh :  Professor  Rhys,  Academy,  Jan.  31,  1880. 

6  Arne  Magnusson,  see  Morley's  Eng.  Writers,  II.  336,  and  Murray's  New  Eng, 
Dictionary. 

'  Corp.  Poet  Boreale.  I.,  XXVII.,  etc. 


32  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

the  main  treatises  on  the  poetic  art  are,  in  general,  Snorri's,  the 
treatises  on  grammar  and  rhetoric  have  been,  with  more  or  less 
certitude,  assigned  to  other  writers  of  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
centuries.  It  is  probable,  too,  that  in  the  Mythical  Tales,  or  the 
Delusion  of  Gylfi,  Snorri  merely  enlarged,  and  edited  with  poet- 
ical illustrations,  the  work  of  earlier  hands.  The  poets  of  the 
fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries  do  not  speak  of  Snorri,  but 
they  refer  continually  to  the  "  rules  of  Edda,"  and  frequently 
to  the  obscurity  and  the  conventionality  of  Eddie  phraseol- 
ogy, figures,  and  art.  Even  at  the  present  day,  in  Iceland,  it 
is  common  to  hear  the  term  "  void  of  Eddie  art,"  or  "  a  bungler 
in  Eddie  art."  A  rearrangement  of  Snorri's  Edda,  by  Magnus 
Olafsson  (15  74-1636),  is  much  better  known  than  the  original 
work. 

In  1642,  Bishop  Bryniolf  Sveinsson  discovered  a  manuscript  of 
the  mythological  poems  of  Iceland.  Misled  by  theories  of  his 
own  and  by  a  fanciful  suggestion  of  the  famous  antiquary  Biorn  of 
Scardsa,  he  attributed  the  composition  of  these  poems  to  Saemund 
the  Wise,  a  historian  who  lived  1056-1133.  Henceforth,  conse- 
quently, Snorri's  work  is  called  the  Younger,  or  Prose  Edda,  in 
contradistinction  to  Bryniolf 's  find,  which  is  known  as  the  Elder, 
the  Poetical  Edda,  or  the  Edda  of  Saemund.  The  oldest  manu- 
script of  the  Poetical  Edda  is  of  the  thirteenth  century.  Its 
contents  were  probably  collected  not  later  than  1150.  The  com- 
position of  the  poems  cannot  well  be  placed  earlier  than  the  ninth 
or  tenth  centuries  after  Christ ;  and  a  consideration  of  the  habits, 
laws,  geography,  and  vocabulary  illustrated  by  the  poems  leads 
eminent  scholars  to  assign  the  authorship  to  emigrants  of  the 
south  Norwegian  tribes  who,  sailing  westward,  "won  Waterford 
and  Limerick,  and  kinged  it  in  York  and  East  England." '  The 
poems  are  Icelandic,  however,  in  their  general  character  and  his- 
tory. They  are  principally  of  heroic  and  mythical  import :  such 
as  the  stories  of  Balder's  Fate,  of  Skirnir's  Journey,  of  Thor's 
Hammer,  of  Helgi  the  Hunding's  Bane,  and  the  twenty  lays  that 
1  Corp.  Poet.  Boreale,  I..  LXXI.;   LXIII.-LXIV. 


PRESERVATION   OF  MYTHS.  33 

in  fragmentary  fashion  tell  the  eventful  history  of  the  Volsungs 
and  the  Nibelungs.^ 

The  Sagas.  —  The  Eddas  contain  many  myths  and  mythical 
features  that  contradict  the  national  character  of  both  Germans 
and  Norsemen ;  but  the  Sagas  have  their  roots  in  Norse  civiliza- 
tion, and  are  national  property.-  Of  these  mythic-heroic  prose 
compositions  the  most  important  to  us  is  the  Volsunga  Saga,  which 
was  put  together  probably  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  is  based  in 
part  upon  the  poems  of  the  Elder  Edda,  in  part  upon  floating 
traditions,  and  in  part  upon  popular  songs  that  now  are  lost.^ 

§  14.  Records  of  German  Mythology.  — The  story  of  the  Vol- 
sungs and  the  Nibelungs  springs  from  mythological  sources  com- 
mon to  the  whole  Teutonic  race.  Two  distinct  versions  of  the 
Saga  survive,  —  the  Low  or  North  German,  which  we  have  already 
noticed  in  the  lays  of  the  Elder  Edda  and  in  the  Norse  Volsunga 
Saga,  and  the  High  or  South  German,  which  has  been  preserved 
in  German  folk-songs  and  in  the  Nibelungenlied,  or  Lay  of  the 
Nibelungs,  that  has  grown  out  of  them.  The  Norse  form  of  the 
story  exhibits  a  later  sur\'ival  of  the  credulous,  or  myth-making, 
mental  condition.  The  I^y  of  the  Nibelungs  absorbed,  at  an 
earlier  date,  historical  elements,  and  began  sooner  to  restrict  the 
personality  of  its  heroes  within  the  compass  of  human  limitations.* 

Although  there  are  many  manuscripts,  or  fragments  of  manu- 
scripts, of  the  Nibelungenlied  that  attest  its  popularity  between 
the  thirteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  it  was  not  until  the  Swiss 
critic,  J.  J.  Bodmer,  published,  in  1757,  portions  of  two  ancient 
poems,  "  The  Revenge  of  Kriemhild  "  and  "  The  Lament  over  the 
Heroes  of  Etzel,"  that  the  attention  of  modern  scholars  was  called" 
to  this  famous  German  epic.  Since  that  time  many  theories  of  the 
composition  of  the  Nibelungenlied  have  been  advanced.     It  has 

1  For  literature,  see  Commentary,  \\  177-185. 

2  Paul's  Grundriss  d.  Germ.  Phil.,  i  Bd.,  5  Lfg. ;  Mythologie. 

3  Morris  and  Magmisson's  The  Story  of  the  Volsungs  and  Nibelungs.  Horn's 
Gesch.  d.  Lit.  d.  Skand.  Nordens,  27-45^  58,  etc 

*  Werner  Hahn,  Das  Nibelungenlied. 


34  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

been  held  by  some  that  the  German  epic  is  an  adaptation  of  the 
Norse  version ;  ^  by  others,  that  the  Scandinavians,  not  the  Ger- 
mans, borrowed  the  story ;  and  by  others  still,  that  the  epics,  while 
proceeding  from  a  common  cradle,  are  of  independent  growth. 
The  last  theory  is  the  most  tenable.^  Concerning  the  history  of 
the  Nibelungenlied,  it  has  been  maintained  that  since,  during  the 
twelfth  century,  when  no  poet  would  adopt  any  other  poet's 
stanzaic  form,  the  Austrian  Von  Kiirenberg  used  the  stanzaic 
form  of  the  Nibelungenlied,  the  epic  must  be  his;^  It  has  also 
been  urged  that  the  poem,  having  been  written  down  about  1140, 
was  altered  in  metrical  form  by  younger  poets,  until,  in  1 200  or 
thereabouts,  it  assumed  the  form  preserved  in  the  latest  of  the 
three  great  manuscripts.'*  But  the  theory  advanced  by  Lachmann 
is  still  of  great  value  :  that  the  poem  consists  of  a  number  of 
ancient  ballads  of  various  age  and  uneven  worth ;  and  that,  about 
1 2 10,  a  collector,  mending  some  of  the  ballads  to  suit  himself, 
strung  them  together  on  a  thread  of  his  own  invention. 

In  fine,  the  materials  of  the  poem  would  persuade  us  not  only  of 
its  origin  in  very  ancient  popular  lays,  but  of  their  fusion  and  im- 
provement by  the  imaginative  effort  of  at  least  one,  and,  probably, 
of  several  poets,  who  lived  and  wrote  between  11 20  and  1200  a.d. 
The  metrical  structure,  also,  would  indicate  derivation  from  the 
German  folk-song  and  modification  due  to  multifarious  handling 
on  the  part  of  popular  minstrels  and  poets  of  written  verse.^ 

§  15.  Records  of  Oriental  Mythology.®  —  Although  the  myths 
of  Egypt,  India,  and  Persia  are  of  intense  interest  and  importance, 
they  have  not  materially  affected  English  literature.  The  follow- 
ing is,  however,  a  brief  outline  of  the  means  by  which  some  of 
them  have  been  preserved. 

1  The  Grimm  brothers ;  v.  d.  Hagen  ;  Vilmar. 

2  Werner  Hahn ;  Jas.  Sime.  Ency.  Brit.,  Nibelungenlied. 
8  Pfeiffer. 

*  Bartsch,  see  Ency.  Brit. 

6  Werner  Hahn,  18,  58-60.     For  literature,  see.  Commentary,  \  186. 
6  For  translations  of  Oriental  Myths,  s^  Commentary,  \  15 ;  for  mythical  per- 
sonages, see  Index  and  Dictionary. 


PRESERVATION  OF  MYTHS.  35 

Egjrptian  Records.  — These  are  (i)  The  Hieroglyphs,  or  sacred 
inscriptions  in  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  and  other  solemn  places,  — 
conveying  ideas  by  symbols,  by  phonetic  signs,  or  by  both ;  (2) 
The  Sacred  Papyri,  containing  hymns  to  the  gods ;  (3)  The 
Books  of  the  Dead  and  of  the  Lower  Hemisphere,  —  devoted  to 
necromantic  incantations,  prayers  for  the  souls  of  the  departed, 
and  other  rituals. 

Indian  Records.  —  ( i )  The  Vedas,  or  Holy  Scriptures  of  the 
Hindoos,  which  fall  into  four  divisions.  The  most  ancient,  the 
Rig-veda,  consists  of  hymns  of  an  elevated  and  spiritual  character 
composed  by  families  of  Rishis,  or  psalmists,  as  far  back,  perhaps, 
as  3000  B.C.,  not  later  than  1400  b.c.  They  give  us  the  religious 
conceptions  of  the  Aryans  when  they  crossed  the  Himalayas  and 
began  to  push  toward  Southern  Hindostan.  The  Sama-veda  is 
a  book  of  solemn  chants  and  tunes.  The  Yajur-veda  comprises 
prayers  for  sacrificial  occasions,  and  interpretations  of  the  same. 
The  Atharva-veda  shows,  as  might  be  expected  of  the  youngest 
of  the  series,  the  influence  upon  the  purer  Aryan  creed,  of  super- 
stitions borrowed,  perhaps,  from  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  India. 
It  contains  spells  for  exorcising  demons  and  placating  them. 

(2)  The  Indian  Epics  of  classical  standing.  They  are  the 
Mahabharata  and  the  Ramayana.  Scholars  differ  as  to  the  chron- 
ological precedence.  The  Great  Feud  of  the  Bharatas  has  the 
air  of  superior  antiquity  because  of  the  numerous  hands  and 
generations  that  have  contributed  to  its  composition.  The  Ad- 
ventures of  Rama,  on  the  other  hand,  recalls  a  more  primitive 
stage  of  credulity,  and  of  savage  invention.  The  Mahabharata  is 
a  storehouse  of  mythical  tradition.  It  contains  several  well- 
rounded  epic  poems,  the  most  beautiful  of  which  is  the  Episode 
of  Nala,  —  a  prince  who,  succumbing  to  a  weakness  common  to 
his  contemporaries,  has  gambled  away  his  kingdom.  The  Great 
Feud  of  the  Bharatas  is,  indeed,  assigned  to  an  author  —  but  his 
name,  Vyasa,  means  simply  the  Arranger.  The  Ramayana  pur- 
ports to  have  been  written  by  the  poet  Yalmiki.  It  tells  how  Sita, 
the  wife  of  Prince  Rama,  is  carried  off  to  Ceylon  by  Ravana,  king 


36  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

of  the  demons,  and  how  Rama,  by  the  aid  of  an  army  of  monkeys, 
bridges  the  straits  between  India  and  Ceylon,  and  slaying  the 
demon,  recovers  his  lovely  and  innocent  wife.  The  resemblance 
between  the  plot  and  that  of  the  Iliad  has  inclined  some  scholars 
to  derive  the  Indian  from  the  Greek  epic.  But,  until  the  rela- 
tive antiquity  of  the  poems  is  established,  the  Iliad  might  as  well 
be  derived  from  the  Ramayana.  The  theory  is  unsubstantiated. 
These  epics  of  India  lack  the  artistic  spirit  and  grace  of  the  Iliad 
and  the  Odyssey,  but  they  display  a  keener  sympathy  with  nature 
and  a  more  romantic  appreciation  of  the  loves  and  sorrows  of 
mankind. 

Persian  Records.  — The  Avesta,  or  Sacred  Book  of  the  ancient 
Persians,  composed  in  the  Zend  language  and  later  translated  into 
mediaeval  Persian,  —  or  Pahlavi,  —  contains  the  Gathas,  or  hymns 
of  Zoroaster  and  his  contemporaries,  and  scriptures  of  as  recent 
a  date  as  the  fifth  century  B.C.  Zoroaster,  a  holy  man  of  God,  was 
the  founder  or  the  reformer  of  the  Persian  religion.  He  lived 
as  early  as  the  fourteenth  or  fifteenth  century  B.C.,  and  his  system 
became  the  dominant  religion  of  Western  Asia  from  the  time  of 
Cyrus  (550  B.C.)  to  the  conquest  of  Persia  by  Alexander  the 
Great.  The  teachings  of  Zoroaster  are  characterized  by  beautiful 
simplicity,  and  by  an  unwavering  faith  in  the  ultimate  victory  of 
righteousness  (Ormuzd)  over  evil  (Ahriman). 

The  stories  of  Greek,  Roman,  Norse,  and  German  mythology 
that  have  most  influenced  our  English  literature  will  follow  in  the 
order  named.  The  Romans,  being  by  nature  a  practical,  not  a 
poetic,  people,  incorporated  in  their  literature  the  mythology  of 
the  Greeks.  AV^e  shall,  however,  append  to  our  description  of  the 
Greek  gods  a  brief  account  of  the  native  I^atin  divinities  that 
retained  an  individuality  in  Roman  literature. 


^ 


Werner, 


"Pioy, 

'""iaia  . 


,»Ve»V 


^^iapsuf 


GREECE 

and  the 

GREEK  COLONIES. 


Ionian.^ S>    I 

Dorian. I      I 

Other  Greek  Sacea t^ 

Pb<enician IB 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF   THE    CREATION. 


I  37 


CHAPTER   IV. 


GREEK    MYTHS    OF   THE    CREATION.^ 


§  1 6.  Origin  of  the  World. — There  were  among  the  Greeks 
several  accounts  of  the  beginning  of  things.  Homer  tells  us  that 
River  Ocean,  a  deep  and  mighty  flood,  encircling  land  and  sea 
like  a  serpent  with  its  head  in  its  mouth,  was  the  source  of  all. 
\-  According  to  other  myths  Night  and  Darkness  were  the  prime 
***-*'^  elements  of  Nature,  and  from  them  sprang  Light.  Still  a  third 
theory,  attributed  to  Orpheus,  asserts  that  Time  was  in  the  be- 
ginning, but  had  himself  no  beginning ;  that  from  him  proceeded 
Chaos,  a  yawning  abyss  wherein  brooded  Night  and  Mist  and 
fiery  air,  or  yEther  ;  that  Time  caused  the  mist  to  spin  round  the 
central  fiery  air  till  the  mass,  assuming  the  form  of  a  huge  World- 
egg,  flew,  by  reason  of  its  rapid  rotation,  into  halves.  Of  these, 
one  was  Heaven,  the  other  Earth.  From  the  centre  of  the  egg 
proceeded  Eros  (Love)  and  other  wondrous  beings. 

But  the  most  consistent  account  of  the  origin  of  the  world  and 
of  the  gods  is  given  by  the  poet  Hesiod,  who  tells  us  that  Chaos, 
the  yawning  abyss,  composed  of  Void,   Mass,  and  Darkness  in 

1  Supplementary  information  concerning  many  of  the  myths  may  be  found  in 
the  corresponding  sections  of  the  Commentary. 


38  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

confusion,  preceded  all  things  else.  Next  came  into  being  broad- 
bosomed  Earth,  and  beautiful  Love  who  should  rule  the  hearts  of 
gods  and  men.  But  from  Chaos  itself  issued  Erebus,'  the  mys- 
terious darkness  that  is  under  Earth,  —  and  Night,  dweUing  in  the 
remote  regions  of  sunset. 

From  Mother  Earth  proceeded  first  the  starry  vault  of  Heaven, 
durable  as  brass  or  iron,  where  the  gods  were  to  take-up  their 
abode.  Earth  brought  forth  next  the  mountains  and  fertile  fields, 
the  stony  plains,  the  sea,  and  the  plants  and  animals  that  possess 
them. 

§  17.  Origin  of  the  Gods. — So  far  we  have  a  history  of  the 
throes  and  changes  of  the  physical  world ;  now  begins  the  history 
of  gods  and  of  men.  For  in  the  heart  of  creation  Love  begins 
to  stir,  making  of  material  things  creatures  male  and  female,  and 
bringing  them  together  by  instinctive  affinity.  First  Erebus  and 
Night,  the  jhildren  of  Chaos,  are  wedded,  and  from  them  spring 
Light  and  Day ;  then  Uranus,  the  personified  Heaven,  takes  Gaea, 
the  Earth,  to  wife,  and  from  their  union  issue  Titans  and  hundred- 
handed  monsters  and  Cyclopes. 

The  Titans^  appear  to  be  the  personification  of  mighty  con- 
vulsions of  the  physical  world,  of  volcanic  eruptions  and  earth- 
quakes. They  played  a  quarrelsome  part  in  mythical  history ; 
they  were  instigators  of  hatred  and  strife.  Homer  mentions  spe- 
cially two  of  them,  Japetus  and  Cronus ;  but  Hesiod  enumerates 
thirteen.  Of  these  the  more  important  are  Oceanus  and  Tethys, 
Hyperion  and  Thea,  Cronus  and  Rhea,  Japetus,  Themis,  and 
Mnemosyne.  The  three  Cyclopes  represented  the  terrors  of  roll- 
ing thunder,  of  the  lightning-flash,  and  of  the  thunderbolt ;  and, 
probably,  for  this  reason,  one  fiery  eye  was  deemed  enough  for 
each.  The  hundred-handed  monsters,  or  Hecatonchires,  were  also 
three  in  number.  In  them,  probably,  the  Greeks  imaged  the  sea 
with  its  multitudinous  waves,  its  roar,  and  its  breakers  that  seem 
to  shake  the  earth.     These  lightning-eyed,  these  hundred-handed 

1  So  far  as  possible,  Latin  designations,  or  Latinized  forms  of  Greek  nam<»s,  si"e 
used.  2  On  the  Titans,  etc.,  Preller's  Griech.  Mythol.  I  y,. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF   THE   CREATION.  39 

monsters,  their  father  Uranus  feared  and  attempted  to  destroy,  by 
thrusting  them  into  Tartarus,  the  profound  abysm  of  the  earth. 
Whereupon  Mother  Earth,  or  Gaea,  indignant,  called  for  help  upon 
her  elder  children,  the  Titans.  None  dared  espouse  her  cause 
save  Cronus,  the  crafty.  With  an  iron  sickle  he  lay  in  wait  for 
his  sire,  fell  upon  hkn,  and  drove  him,  grievously  wounded,  from 
the  encounter.  From  the  blood  of  the  mutilated  Uranus  leaped 
into  being  the  Furies,  whose  heads  writhe  with  serpents ;  the  Giants, 
a  novel  race  of  monsters ;  and  the^Melic  Nymphs,  invidious  maidens 
of  the  ashen  spear.  '^'^ ^t^-l^].     utX/«,  «, oX    '^•^  ^>y^- 

§  1 8.  The  Rule  of  Cronus.  — Now  follows  the  reign  of  Cronus, 
lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth.  He  is,  from  the  beginning,  of  incal- 
culable years.  In  works  of  art  his  head  is  veiled,  to  typify  his 
cunning  and  his  reserve ;  he  bears  the  sickle  not  only  as  memento 
of  the  means  by  which  he  brought  his  father's  tyranny  to  end,  but 
as  symbol  of  the  new  period  of  growth  and  golden  harvests  that 
he  ushered  in.  v^  ^^  iv/o-V>i<(  cJLi^"*^  v,^(J  --« {"^v?  uu. 

For  unknown  ages  Cronus  and  Rhea,  his  sister-queen,  governed  V^  - 
Heaven  and  Earth.     To  them  were  born  three  daughters,  Vesta^  ''^^V. 
1S> —  Ceres,  and  Juno,  and  three  sons,  Pluto,^  Neptune^  and  Jupiter^   'ft%u 


Cronus,  however,  havino;  learned  from  his  parents  that  he, should 
be  dethroned  by  eSft^fm^  own  cnildren,  conceived  the  well-inten- 
tioned but  ill-considered  device  of  swallowing  each  as  it  was  born. 
His  queen,  naturally  desirous  of  discouraging  the  practice,  —  when 
it  came  to  the  turn  of  her  sixth  child,  palmed  off  on  the  insatiable 
Cronus  a  stone  carefully  enveloped  in  swaddling  clothes.  Jupiter) 
(or  Zeus),  the  rescued  infant,  was  concealed  in  the  island  of 
Crete,  where,  nurtured  by  the  nymphs,  Adrastea  and  Ida,  and  fed 
on  the  milk  of  the  goat  Amalth5a,  he  in  due  season  attained 
maturity.  Then,  assisted  by  his  grandmother  Gaea,  he  constrained 
Cronus  to  disgorge  the  burden  of  his  cannibal  repasts.  First 
came  to  light  the  memorable  stone,  which  was  placed  in  safe 
keeping  at  Delphi ;  then  the  five  brothers  and  sisters  of  Jupiter, 
ardent  to  avenge  themselves  upon  the  unnatural  author  of  their 
existence  and  their  captivity. 


40  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IX  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  19.  The  War  of  the  Titans. — In  the  war  which  ensued 
Japetus  and  all  the  Titans,  except  Oceanus,  ranged  themselves  on 
the  side  of  their  brother  Cronus  against  Jupiter  and  his  recently 
recovered  kinsfolk.  Jupiter  and  his  hosts  held  Mount  Olympus. 
For  ages  victory  wavered  in  the  balance.  Finally  Jupiter,  acting 
again  under  the  advice  of  Ga;a,  released  from  Tartarus,  where 
UranuMiad  confined  them,  the  Cyclopes  and  the  Hecatonchires. 
antly  they  hastened  to  the  battle-field  of  Thessaly,  the 
Cyclopes  to  support  Jupiter  with  their  thunders  and  lightnings, 
the  hundred-handed  monsters  with  the  shock  of  the  earthquake. 
Provided  with  such  artillery,  shaking  earth  and  sea,  Jupiter  issued 
to  the  onslaught.  With  the  gleam  of  the  lightning  the  Titans 
were  blinded,  by  the  earthquake  they  were  laid  low,  with  the  flames 
they  were  well-nigh  consumed  :  overpowered  and  fettered  by  the 
hands  of  the  Hecatonchires,  they  were  consigned  to  the  yawning 
cave  of  Tartarus.  Atlas,  the  son  of  Japetus,  was  doomed  to  bear 
the  heavens  on  his  shoulders.  But  a  more  famous  son  of  the  same 
Titan,  Prometheus,  who  had  espoused  the  cause  of  Jove,  acquired 
dignity  hereafter  to  be  set  forth. 

§  20.  The  Division  of  Empire.  —  In  the  council  of  the  gods 
that  succeeded,  Jupiter  was  chosen  Sovereign  of  the  World.  He' 
delegated  to  his  brother  Neptune  (or  Posidon)  the  kingdom  of 
the  sea  and  of  all  the  waters ;  to  his  brother  Pluto  (or  Hades),  the 
government  of  the  underworld,  dark,  unseen,  mysterious,  where 
the  spirits  of  the  dead  should  dwell,  and  of  Tartarus,  wherein 
were  held  the  fallen  Titans.  For  himself  Jupiter  retained  Earth 
and  the  Heaven,  into  whose  broad  and  sunny  regions  towered 
Olympus,  the  favored  mountain  of  the  greater  gods.^ 

§  21.   The  Reign  of  Jupiter.  —  New  conflicts,  however,  awaited 
this  new  djTiasty  of  Heaven  —  conflicts,  the  subject  of  many  a 
tale  among  the  ancients.     Gaea,  though  she  had  aided  her  grand- 
»Xc«n  son  Jupiter  in  the  war  against  Cronus,  was  soon  seized  with  com- 
punctions of  conscience ;  and  contemplating  the  cruel  fate  of  her 

1  On  signification  of  Uranus,  Cronus,  Zeus,  see  Preller,  I.  37,  38,  and  Commen- 
tary, \\  17,  33. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF   THE    CREATION.  41 

sons  the  Titans,  she  conceived  schemes  of  vengeance  upon  their 
conqueror.     Another  son  was  born  to  her  —  Typhon,  a  monster 
more  awful  than  his  predecessors — whose  destiny  it  was  to  dis- 
pute the  sway  of  the  ahiiighty  Zeus.     From  the  neck  of  Typhon 
dispread  themselves  a  hundred  dragon-heads ;  his  eyes  shot  fire, 
and  from  his  black-tongued  chaps  proceeded  the  hissing  of  snakes, 
the  bellowing  of  bulls,  the  roaring  of  lions,  the  barking  of  dogs, 
pipings  and  screams,  and,  at  times,  the  voice 
and  utterance  of  the  gods  themselves.   Against 
Heaven  this  horror  lifted  himself;  but  quail- 
ing before  the  thunderbolt  of  Jove,  he   too 
descended  to  Tartarus, 
his  own  place  and   the 
abode  of  his  brethren- 
'I  ^^S|^|i^^P^r\  ^l^l^NKW^'^y  To   this    day,   however, 

fc  *^      ^^\^'    iri'^^   Tt  '^r^^Sk  ^^  grumbles  and  hisses, 

JO'M-      ,^SkLM(/lL  vJw^mIIKL-SBL         thrusts    upward   a  fiery 


Wni.  ^f^^j^S^i^RrK^H^^Ife^l^.      tongue  through  the  cra- 
^^^S^ll^!Pfil^\u^^^^>JHI^rak  ^^'^  ^^  ^    volcano,    or, 

breathing      siroccos, 
scorches  trees  and  men. 
Later  still,  the  Giants, 
offspring    of  the  blood 
that  fell  from  the  wound- 
ed Uranus,  renewed  the 
revolt  against  the  Olym- 
pian gods.     They  were  creatures  nearer  akin  to  men  than  were  the 
Titans,  or  the  Cyclopes,  or  Typhon.     They  clothed  themselves  in 
the  skins  of  beasts,  and  armed  themselves  with  rocks  and  trunks  of 
trees.     Their  bodies  and  lower  limbs  were  of  sjiakes.     They  were 
awful  to  encounter  or  to  look  upon.     They  were  named,  like  men, 
the  earth-born  ;  and  their  characteristics  would  suggest  some  pre- 
historic brutish  race,  hot-headed,  not  amenable  to  reason.^    Of  the 
Giants  the  more  mighty  were  Alcyoneus  of  the  winter  storms  and 

1  Roscher:  Ausf.  Lex.,  Article  Giganten  Q.  Ilberg]. 


.i  s*' 


42  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

icebergs,  Pallas,  and  Enceladns,  and  Porphyrion  the  fire-king, — 
leader  of  the  crew.  In  the  war  against  them,  Juno  and  Minerva, 
divinities  of  the  new  dynasty  of  Heaven,  took  active  part,  —  and 
Hercules,  an  earthly  son  of  Jupiter,  whose  arrows  aided  in  their 

defeat.  It  was  from  the 
overthrow  of  Pallas  that 
Athene  (or  Minerva) 
derived,,  according  to 
certain  records,  her 
proud  designation  of 
Pallas-Athene.'  In  due 
course,  like  the  Titans 
and  Typhon,  the  Giants 
were  buried  in  the  abyss 
of  eternal  darkness. 
What  other  outcome  can  be  expected  when  mere  physical  or 
brute  force  joins  issue  v/ith  the  enlightened  and  embattled  hosts 
of  heaven? 

§  2  2.  The  Origin  of  Man  was  a  question  which  the  Greeks  did 
not  settle  so  easily  as  the  Hebrews.  Greek  traditions  do  not  trace 
all  mankind  to  an  original  pair.  On  the  contrary,  the  generally 
received  opinion  was  that  men  grew  out  of  trees  and  stones,  or 
were  produced  by  the  rivers  or  the  sea.  Some  said  that  men  and 
gods  were  both  derived  from  Mother  Earth,  hence  both  atitoctho- 
nous ;  and  some,  indeed,  claimed  an  antiquity  for  the  human  race 
equal  to  that  of  the  divinities.  All  narratives,  however,  agree  in 
one  statement,  —  that  the  gods  maintained  intimate  relations  with 
men  until,  because  of  the  growing  sinfulness  and  arrogance  of 
mankind,  it  became  necessary  for  the  immortals  to  withdraw  their 
favor. 

Prometheus,  a  Creator.  —  There  is  a  story  which  attributes  the 
making  of  man  to  Prometheus,  whose  father  Japetus  had,  with 
Cronus,  opposed  the  sovereignty  of  Jupiter.  In  that  conflict, 
Prometheus,  gifted  with  prophetic  wisdom,  had  adopted  the  cause 

1  The  name  more  probably  signifies  Brandisher  [of  the  Lance]. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF   THE    CREATION.  43 

of  the  Olympian  deities.  To  him  and  his  brother  Epimetheus  was 
now  committed  the  office  of  making  man  and  providing  him  and 
all  other  animals  with  the  faculties  necessary  for  their  preservation. 
Prometheus  was  to  overlook  the  work  of  Epimetheus.  Epimetheus 
proceeded  to  bestow  upon  the  different  animals  the  various  gifts 
of  courage,  strength,  swiftness,  sagacity ;  wings  to  one,  claws  to 
another,  a  shelly  covering  to  a  third.  But  Prometheus  himself 
made  a  nobler  animal  than  these.  Taking  some  earth  and  knead- 
ing it  with  water,  he  made  man  in  the  image  of  the  gods.  He 
gave  him  an  upright  stature,  so  that  while  other  animals  turn 
their  faces  toward  the  earth,  man  gazes  on  the  stars.  Then  since 
Epimetheus,  always  rash,  and  thoughtful  when  too  late,  had  been 
so  prodigal  of  his  gifts  to  other  animals  that  no  blessing  was  left 
worth  conferring  upon  the  noblest  of  creatures,  Prometheus  as- 
cended to  heaven,  lighted  his  torch  at  the  chariot  of  the  sun,  and 
brought  down  fire.  With  fire  in  his  possession  man  would  be 
able,  when  necessary,  to  win  her  secrets  and  treasures  from  the 
earth,  to  develop  commerce,  science,  and  the  arts. 

§  23.  The  Age  of  Gold.  —  Whether  in  this  or  in  other  ways  the 
world  was  furnished  with  inhabitants,  the  first  age  was  an  age  of 
innocence  and  happiness.  Truth  and  right  prevailed,  though  not 
enforced  by  law,  nor  was  there  any  in  authority  to  threaten  or  to 
punish.  The  forest  had  not  yet  been  robbed  of  its  trees  to  yield 
timbers  for  vessels,  nor  had  men  built  fortifications  round  their 
towns.  There  were  no  such  things  as  swords,  spears,  or  helmets. 
The  earth  brought  forth  all  things  necessary  for  man,  without  his 
labor  in  ploughing  or  sowing.  Perpetual  spring  reigned,  flowers 
sprang  up  without  seed,  the  rivers  flowed  with  milk  and  wine,  and 
yellow  honey  distilled  from  the  oaks.  This  Golden  Age  had 
begun  in  the  reign  of  Cronus.'  And  when  these  heroes  fell  asleep 
in  death,  they  were  translated  in  a  pleasant  dream  to  a  spiritual 
existence,  in  which,  unseen  by  mortal  eyes,  they  still  attended 
men  as  monitors  and  guardians. 

1  Consequently  the  creation  of  these  men  could  not  be  assigned  to  Prometheus, 
—  unless  they  were  made  by  him  before  the  war  of  the  Titans. 


44  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  24.  The  Silver  Age  came  next,  inferior  to  the  golden.  Jupiter 
shortened  the  spring,  and  divided  the  year  into  seasons.  Then, 
first,  men  suffered  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  and  houses  be- 
came necessary.  Caves  were  their  dwellings,  —  and  leafy  coverts 
of  the  woods,  and  huts  woven  of  twigs.  Crops  would  no  longer 
grow  without  planting.  The  farmer  was  constrained  to  sow  the 
seed,  and  the  ox  to  draw  the  plough.  This  was  a  race  of  manly 
men,  but  insolent  and  impious.  And  when  they  died,  Jupiter 
made  them  ghosts  of  the  underworld,  but  withheld  the  privilege 
of  immortal  life. 

§  25.  Prometheus,  Champion  of  Man.  —  During  this  age  when, 
as  Hesiod  says,  the  altars  of  the  blessed  were  neglected,  and  the 
gods  were  denied  their  due,  Prometheus  stood  forth  —  the  cham- 
pion of  man  against  the  Olympians.^  For  the  son  of  Cronus  had 
grudged  mortals  the  use  of  fire,  and  was,  in  fact,  contemplating 
their  annihilation  and  the  creation  of  a  new  race.  Therefore, 
once  upon  a  time,  when  gods  and  men  were  in  dispute  at  Sicyon 
concerning  the  prerogatives  of  each,  Prometheus,  by  an  ingenious 
trick,  attempted  to  settle  the  question  in  favor  of  man.  Dividing 
into  two  portions  a  sacrificial  bull,  he  wrapped  all  the  eatable  parts 
in  the  skin,  cunningly  surmounted  with  uninviting  entrails  ;  but  the 
bones  he  garnished  with  a  plausible  mass  of  fat.  He  then  offered 
Jupiter  his  choice.  The  king  of  Heaven,  although  he  perceived 
the  intended  fraud,  took  the  heap  of  bones  and  fat,  and,  forthwith 
availing  himself  of  this  insult  as  an  excuse  for  punishing  mankind, 
deprived  the  race  of  fire.  But  Prometheus  regained  the  treasure, 
stealing  it  from  Heaven  in  a  hollow  tube. 

Pandora.  —  Doubly  enraged,  Jupiter,  in  his  turn,  had  recourse 
to  stratagem.  He  is  declared  to  have  planned  for  man  a  curse 
in  the  shape  of  woman.  How  the  race  had  persisted  hitherto 
without  woman  is  a  mystery ;  but  that  it  had  done  so,  with  no 
slight  degree  of  happiness,  the  experience  of  the  Golden  Age 
would  seem  to  prove.     However,  the  bewitching  evil  was  fash- 

1  There  is  uncertainty  as  to  the  mythical  period  of  these  events.  The  order  here 
given  seems  to  me  well  grounded.     Hes.  Works  and  Days,  180;  Theog.,  790-910. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF  THE    CREATION.  45 

ioned,  —  in  Heaven,  properly  enough,  —  and  every  god  and  god- 
dess contributed  something  to  her  perfection.  One  gave  her 
beauty,  another  persuasive  charm,  a  third  the  faculty  of  music. 
And  they  named  her  Pandora,  "  the  gift  of  all  the  gods."  Thus 
equipped,  she  was  conveyed  to  earth,  and  presented  to  Epime- 
theus,  who,  without  hesitation,  accepted  the  gift,  though  cautioned 
by  his  brother  to  beware  of  Jupiter  and  all  his  ways.  And  the 
caution  was  not  groundless.  In  the  hand  of  Pandora  had  been 
placed  by  the  immortals  a  casket  or  vase  which  she  was  forbidden 
to  open.  Overcome  by  an  unaccountable  curiosity  to  know  what 
this  vessel  contained,  she  one  day  lifted  the  cover  and  looked  in. 
Forthwith  there  escaped  a  multitude  of  plagues  for  hapless  man 

—  gout,  rheumatism,  and  colic  for  his  body;  envy,  spite,  and 
revenge  for  his  mind  —  and  scattered  themselves  far  and  wide. 
Pandora  hastened  to  replace  the  lid  \  but  one  thing  only  remained 
in  the  casket,  and  that  was  hope. 

Because  of  his  unselfish  devotion  to  the  cause  of  humanity, 
Prometheus  drew  down  on  himself  the  anger  of  Olympian  Jove, 
by  whose  order  he  was  chained  to  a  rock  on  Mount  Caucasus,  and 
subjected  to  the  attack  of  a  vulture  which,  for  ages,  preyed  upon 
his  liver,  yet  succeeded  not  in  consuming  it.  This  state  of  tor- 
ment might  have  been  brought  to  an  end  at  any  time  by  Prome- 
theus, if  he  had  been  willing  to  submit  to  his  oppressor ;  for  he 
possessed  a  secret  which  involved  the  stability  of  Jove's  throne. 
But  to  reveal  his  secret  he  disdained.  In  this' steadfastness  he 
was  supported  by  the  knowledge  that  in  the  thirteenth  genera- 
tion there   should  arrive  a  hero,  —  a   son   of  the   mighty  Jove 

—  to  release  him.'  By  his  demeanor  Prometheus  has  become 
the  ensample  of  magnanimous  endurance,  and  of  resistance  to 
oppression. 

"  Titan !    to  whose  immortal  eyes 
The  sufferings  of  mortality, 
Seen  in  their  sad  reality, 
Were  not  as  things  that  gods  despise, 

1  See  Commentary,  §  25. 


46  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

What  was  thy  pity's  tecompense? 
A  silent  suffering,  and  intense; 
The  rock,  the  vulture,  and  the  chain, 
All  that  the  proud  can  feel  of  pain. 
The  agony  they  do  not  show, 
The  suffocating  sense  of  woe. 
Which  speaks  but  in  its  loneliness. 
And  then  is  jealous  lest  the  sky 
Should  have  a  listener,  nor  will  sigh 
Until  its  voice  is  echoless.  .  .  . 

"Thy  godlike  crime  was  to  be  kind. 

To  render  with  thy  precepts  less 

The  sum  of  human  wretchedness. 
And  strengthen  man  with  his  own  mind. 
But,  baffled  as  thou  wert  from  high. 
Still,  in  thy  patient  energy. 
In  the  endurance  and  repulse 

Of  thine  impenetrable  spirit. 
Which  earth  and  heaven  could  not  convulse, 

A  mighty  lesson  we  inherit."^  .  .  . 

§  26.   A  happy  application  of  the  story  of  Prometheus  is  made 
by  Longfellow  in  the  following  verses  :  ^  — 

"  Of  Prometheus,  how  undaunted 

On  Olympus'  shining  bastions 
His  audacious  foot  he  planted, 
Myths  are  told,  and  songs  are  chanted. 

Full  of  promptings  and  suggestions. 

"  Beautiful  is  the  tradition 

Of  that  flight  through  heavenly  portals. 
The  old  classic  superstition 
Of  the  theft  and  the  transmission 
Of  the  fire  of  the  Immortals ! 

"First  the  deed  of  noble  daring. 
Bom  of  heavenward  aspiration, 

1  From  Byron's  Prometheus.     See  also  his  translation  from  the  Prometheus 
Vinctus  of  iEschylus,  and  his  Ode  to  Napoleon  Buonaparte. 
•2  Prometheus,  or  The  Poet's  Forethought.    See  Commentary,  {  26. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF  THE    CREATION.  47 

Then  the  fire  with  mortals  sharing, 

Then  the  vulture,  —  the  despairing 

Cry  of  pain  on  crags  Caucasian. 

"All  is  but  a  symbol  painted 

Of  the  Poet,  Prophet,  Seer; 
Only  those  are  crowned  and  sainted 
Who  with  grief  have  been  acquainted, 

Making  nations  nobler,  freer. 

"  In  their  feverish  exultations, 

In  their  triumph  and  their  yearning. 
In  their  passionate  pulsations, 
In  their  words  among  the  nations. 

The  Promethean  fire  is  burning. 

"  Shall  it,  then,  be  unavailing, 

All  this  toil  for  human  culture? 
Through  the  cloud-rack,  dark  and  trailing, 
Must  they  see  above  them  sailing 
O'er  life's  barren  crags  the  vulture? 

"Such  a  fate  as  this  was  Dante's, 
By  defeat  and  exile  maddened; 
Thus  were  Milton  and  Cervantes, 

Nature's  priests  and  Corybantes,  W<r<^ 

By  affliction  touched  and  saddened.  ' 

"  But  the  glories  so  transcendent 

That  around  their  memories  cluster, 
And,  on  all  their  steps  attendant. 
Make  their  darkened  lives  resplendent 

With  such  gleams  of  inward  lustre ! 

"  All  the  melodies  mysterious. 

Through  the  dreary  darkness  chanted; 
Thoughts  in  attitudes  imperious. 
Voices  soft,  and  deep,  and  serious, 

Words  that  whispered,  songs  that  haunted! 

"All  the  soul  in  rapt  suspension, 

All  the  quivering,  palpitating 
Chords  of  life  in  utmost  tension, 
With  the  fervor  of  invention, 

With  the  rapture  of  creating! 


48  CLASSIC  MYTHS  TN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

"  Ah,  Prometheus  !    heaven-scahng ! 

In  such  hours  of  exultation 
Even  the  faintest  heart,  unquailing, 
Might  behold  the  vulture  sailing 

Round  the  cloudy  crags  Caucasian! 

"Though  to  all  there  is  not  given 

Strength  for  such  sublime  endeavor, 
Thus  to  scale  the  walls  of  heaven, 
And  to  leaven  with  fiery  leaven 
All  the  hearts  of  men  forever; 

"Yet  all  bards,  whose  hearts  unblighted 
Honor  and  believe  the  presage, 
Hold  aloft  their  torches  lighted. 
Gleaming  through  the  realms  benighted, 
As  they  onward  bear  the  message  !  " 

§  27.  Next  to  the  Age  of  Silver  came  the  Brazen  Age,^  more 
savage  of  temper  and  readier  for  the  strife  of  arms,  yet  not 
altogether  wicked. 

§  28.  Last  came  the  hardest  age  and  worst,  the  Age  of  Iron. 
Crime  burst  in  like  a  flood ;  modesty,  truth,  and  honor  fled.  The 
gifts  of  the  earth  were  put  only  to  nefarious  uses.  Fraud,  vio- 
lence, war  at  home  and  abroad  were  rife.  The  world  was  wet  with 
slaughter ;  and  the  gods,  one  by  one,  abandoned  it,  Astrgea,  fol- 
lowing last,  goddess  of  innocence  and  purity. 

The  Flood.  — Jupiter,  observing  the  condition  of  things,  burned 
with  anger.  He  summoned  the  gods  to  council.  Obeying  the 
call,  they  travelled  the  Milky  Way  to  the  palace  of  Heaven. 
There,  Jupiter  set  forth  to  the  assembly  the  frightful  condition  of 
the  earth,  and  announced  his  intention  of  destroying  its  inhabit- 
ants, and  providing  a  new  race,  unlike  the  present,  which  should 
be  worthier  of  life,  and  more  reverent  toward  the  gods.  Fearing 
lest  a  conflagration  might  set  Heaven  itself  on  fire,  he  proceeded 
to  drown  the  world.  Not  satisfied  with  his  own  waters,  he  called 
his  brother  Neptune  to  his  aid.  Speedily  the  race  of  men,  and 
their  possessions,  were  swept  away  by  the  deluge. 

1  Compare  Byron's  political  satire,  The  Age  of  Bronze. 


GREEK  MYTHS   OF   THE    CREATION.  49 

§  29.  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha.  —  Parnassus  alone,  of  the  moun- 
tains, overtopped  the  waves ;  and  there  Deucalion,  son  of  Pro- 
metheus, and  his  wife  Pyrrha,  daughter  of  Epimetheus,  found 
refuge  —  he  a  just  man  and  she  a  faithful  worshipper  of  the  gods. 
Jupiter,  remembering  the  harmless  lives  and  pious  demeanor  of 
this  pair,  caused  the  waters  to  recede,  —  the  sea  to  return  to  its 
shores,  and  the  rivers  to  their  channels.  Then  DeucaUon  and 
Pyrrha,  entering  a  temple,  defaced  with  slime,  approached  the 
unkindled  altar,  and,  falling  prostrate,  prayed  for  guidance  and 
aid.  The  oracle  ^  answered,  "  Depart  from  the  temple  with  head 
veiled  and  garments  unbound,  and  cast  behind  you  the  bones  of 
your  mother."  They  heard  the  words  with  astonishment.  Pyrrha 
first  broke  silence  :  "  We  cannot  obey ;  we  dare  not  profane  the 
remains  of  our  parents."  They  sought  the  woods,  and  revolved 
the  oracle  in  their  minds.  At  last  Deucalion  spoke  :  "  Either  my 
wit  fails  me,  or  the  command  is  one  we  may  obey  without  impiety. 
The  earth  is  the  great  parent  of  all ;  the  stones  are  her  bones ; 
these  we  may  cast  behind  us  ;  this,  I  think,  the  oracle  means.  At 
least,  to  try  will  harm  us  not."  They  veiled  their  faces,  unbound 
their  garments,  and,  picking  up  stones,  cast  them  behind  them. 
The  stones  began  to  grow  soft,  and  to  assume  shape.  By  degrees, 
they  put  on  a  rude' resemblance  to  the  human  form.  Those  thrown 
by  Deucalion  became  men ;  those  by  Pyrrha,  women.  It  was  a 
hard  race  that  sprang  up,  and  well  adapted  to  labor. 

.  §  30.  The  Demigods  and  Heroes.  —  As  preceding  the  Age  of 
Iron,  Hesiod  mentions  an  Age  of  Demigods  and  Heroes.  Since, 
however,  these  demigods  and  heroes  were,  many  of  them,  reputed 
to  have  been  directly  descended  from  Deucalion,  their  epoch  must 
be  regarded  as  subsequent  to  the  deluge.  The  hero,  Hellen,  son 
of  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha,  became  the  ancestor  of  the  Hellenes  or 
Greeks.  The  ^olians  and  Dorians  were,  according  to  legend, 
descended  from  his  sons  ^olus  and  Dorus  ;  from  his  son  Xuthus, 
the  Achaeans  and  lonians  derived  their  origin. 

Another  great  division  of  the  Greek  people,  the  Pelasgic,  resi- 
1  Oracles,  see  ^^  33,  38,  and  Commentary. 


50  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

dent  in  the  Peloponnesus  or  southern  portion  of  the  peninsula, 
was  said  to  have  sprung  from  a  different  stock  of  heroes,  that  of 
Pelasgus,  son  of  Phoroneus  of  Argos,  and  grandson  of  the  river- 
god  Inathus. 

The  demigods  and  heroes  were  of  matchless  worth  and  valor. 
Their  adventures  form  the  subject  of  many  of  the  succeeding 
chapters.  They  were  the  chieftains  of  the  Theban  and  the  Trojan 
wars  and  of  numerous  other  miUtary  or  predatory  expeditions. 


ATTRIBUTES    OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  51 


CHAPTER   V. 

ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE   GODS    OF   HEAVEN.i 

§31.   Olympus.  —  The  principal  abode  of  the  Greek  gods  was 
on  the  summit  of  Mount  Olympus  in  Thessaly.     A  gate  of  clouds, 
kept  by  goddesses,  the  Hours  or  Seasons,  opened  to  permit  the 
passage  of  the  Celestials  to  earth,  and  to 
receive  them  on  their  return.'   The  gods  ^^ 

had  their  separate  dwellings  ;  but  all,  when  /T^C 

summoned,  repaired  to  the  palace  of  Jupi-  /^i&m. 

ter,  —  even  the  deities  whose  usual  abode         "^^^^^^Wj 
was  the   earth,   the  waters,  or  the  under-  \^^    '^T^ 

world.     In  the  great  hall  of  the  Olympian  rWlu     ,^%  W 

king  the  gods  feasted  each  day  on  ambrosia  ^^^  /^^^  r 
and  nectar.  Here  they  conversed  of  the  af-  ^^^/fr^^HiU 
fairs  of  heaven  and  earth  ;  and  as  they  quaffed  A  Jy^"^^^^^^ 

the  nectar  that  Hebe  poured,  Apollo  made     '^'^^^^r^^W   i 
melody  with  his  lyre,  and  the  Muses  sang        <^^^ 
in  responsive  strain.    When  the  sun  was  set, 
the  gods  withdrew  to  their  respective  dwellings  for  the  night. 

The  following  lines  from  the  Odyssey  express  the  conception 
of  Olympus  entertained  by  Homer  :  — 

•'•  So  saying,  Minerva,  goddess,  azure-eyed, 
Rose  to  Olympus,  the  reputed  seat 
Eternal  of  the  gods,  which  never  storms 
Disturb,  rains  drench,  or  snow  invades,  but  calm 
The  expanse  and  cloudless  shines  with  purest  day. 
There  the  inhabitants  divine  rejoice 
Forever."  - 

1  Consult,  in  general,  corresponding  sections  of  the  Commentary. 
*  Cowper's  translation. 


52  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  32.  The  Great  Gods.  — The  gods  of  Heaven  were  the  following  : ' 

Jupiter  (Zeus).'' 

His  daughter,  Minerva  (Athene),  who  sprang  from  his  brain,  full-grown 
and  full-armed.  ^ 

His  sister  and  wife,  Juno  (Hera).  ^-  ^ 

His  children  by  Juno,  —  Mars  (Ares),  Vulcan  (Hephaestus),  and  Hebe. 

His  children  by  Latona, —t  Apollo,  or  Phoebus,  and  Diana  (Artemis). 

His  daughter  by  Dione,  —  Venus  (Aphrodite).^ 

His  son  by  Maia,  —  Mercury  (Hermes). 

His  sister,  Vesta  (Hestia),  the  oldest  born  of  Cronus  and  Rhea. 

Of  these  all  were  deities  of  the  highest  order  save  Hebe,  who 
must  be  ranked  with  the  lesser  gods.  With  the  remaining  ten 
"  Great  Gods  "  are  sometimes  reckoned  the  other  sister  of  Jupiter, 
Ceres  (Demeter),  properly  a  divinity  of  earth,  and  Neptune 
(Posidon),  ruler  of  the  sea. 

§  Tfi.  Jupiter  *  (Zeus) .  — The  Greek  name  signifies  the  radiant 
light  of  heaven.  Jupiter  was  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe, 
wisest  of  the  divinities  and  most  glorious.  In  the  Iliad  he 
informs  the  other  gods  that  their  united  strength  would  not  budge 
him :  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  could  draw  them,  and  earth,  and 
the  seas  to  himself,  and  suspend  all  from  Olympus  by  a  golden 
chain.  Throned  in  the  high,  clear  heavens,  Jupiter  was  the  gath- 
erer of  clouds  and  snows,  the  dispenser  of  gentle  rains  and  winds, 
the  moderator  of  light  and  heat  and  the  seasons,  the  thunderer, 
the  wielder  of  the  thunderbolt.  Bodily  strength  and  valor  were 
dear  to  him.  He  was  worshipped  with  various  rites  in  different 
lands,  and  to  him  were  sacred  everywhere  the  loftiest  trees  and 
the  grandest  mountain  peaks.  He  required  of  his  worshippers 
cleanliness  of  surroundings  and  person  and  heart.  Justice  was 
his ;  his  to  repay  violation  of  duty  in  the  family,  in  social  rela- 
tions, and  in  the  state.  Prophecy  was  his ;  and  his  will  was  made 
known  at  the  oracle  of  Dodona,  where  answers  were  given  to  those 

1  See  Commentary,  $  32,  for  Gladstone's  latest  utterance  on  the  number  of  the 
Olympians. 

2  The  names  included  in  parentheses  are  distinctively  Greek,  the  others  being 
Roman  equivalents,  Latin  names,  or  names  common  to  both  Greek  and  Roman 
usage.       8  See  Commentary,  J  40.       *  On  the  Latin  name,  see  Commentar>'.  \  33. 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  53 

who  inquired  concerning  the  future.  This  oracular  shrine  was  the 
most  ancient  in  Greece.  According  to  one  account  two  black 
doves  had  taken  wing  from  Thebes  in  Egypt.  One  flew  to 
Dodona  in  Epirus,  and,  alighting  in  a  grove  of  oaks,  proclaimed 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  that  they  should  establish  there 
an  oracle  of  Jupiter.  The  other  dove  flew  to  the  temple  of  Jupiter 
Ammon  in  the  Libyan  oasis,  and  delivered  a  similar  command. 
According  to  another  account  these  were  not  doves,  but  priest- 
esses, who,  carried  off*  from  Thebes  by  the  Phoenicians,  set  up 
oracles  at  Oasis  and  Dodona.  The  responses  of  the  oracle  were 
given  by  the  rustling  of  the  oak  trees  in  the  wind.  The  sounds 
were  interpreted  by  priests. 

That  Jupiter  himself,  though  wedded  to  the  goddess  Juno, 
should  be  charged  with  numerous  other  love  affairs,  not  only  in 
respect  of  goddesses,  but  of  mortals,  is,  in  part,  explained  by  the 
fact  that  to  the  supreme  divinity  of  the  Greeks  have  been  ascribed 
attributes  and  adventures  of  numerous  local,  and  foreign,  divinities 
that  were  gradually  identified  with  him.  It  is,  therefore,  not  wise 
to  assume  that  the  love  affairs  of  Jupiter  and  of  other  divinities 
always  symbolize  combinations  of  natural  or  physical  forces  that 
have  repeated  themselves  in  ever-varying  guise.  It  is  important  to 
understand  that  the  more  ideal  Olympian  religion  absorbed  fea- 
tures of  inferior  religions,  and  that  Jupiter,  when  represented  as 
appropriating  the  characteristics  of  other  gods,  was  sometimes, 
also,  accredited  with  their  wives. 

Beside  the  children  of  Jupiter  already  enumerated,  there  should 
here  be  mentioned,  as  of  peculiar  consequence,  Bacchus  (Diony- 
sus), the  god  of  wine,  a  deity  of  earth,  —  Proserpine,  the  wife  of 
Pluto  and  queen  of  the  underworld,  —  and  Hercules,  the  greatest 
of  the  heroes. 

Conceptions  of  Jupiter.  —  The  Greeks  usually  conceived  the 
Jupiter  of  war  as  riding  in  his  thunder-car,  hurling  the  thunder- 
bolt or  lashing  his  enemies  with  a  scourge  of  lightning.  He  wore 
a  breastplate  or  shield  of  storm-cloud  like  the  skin  of  a  gray  goat 
(the  .-Egis),  fearful  to  behold,  and  made  by  the  god  of  fire.  His 
special  messenger  was  the  eagle.     It  was,  however,  only  with  the 


54 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


passage  of  generations  that  the  Greeks  came  to  represent  their 
greatest  of  the  gods  by  the  works  of  men's  hands.  The 
statue  of  Olympian  Jove  by  Phidias  was  con- 
sidered the  highest  achievement  of  Grecian 
sculpture.  It  was  of  colossal  dimensions, 
and,  like  other  statues  of  the  period,  "  chrys- 
elephantine " ;  that  is,  composed  of 
ivory  and  gold.  For  the  parts  repre- 
senting flesh  were  of  ivory  laid  on  a 
core  of  wood  or  stone,  while  the 
drapery  and  ornaments  were  of  gold. 
The  height  of  the  figure  was  forty 
feet;  the  pedestal  twelve  feet 
high.  The  god  was  represented 
as  seated  on  his  throne.  His 
brows  were  crowned  with  a 
wreath  of  olive ;  he  held  in  his 
right  hand  a  sceptre,  and  in  his 
left  a  statue  of  Victory.  The  throne  was  of  cedar,  adorned  with 
gold  and  precious  stones. 

The  idea  which  the  artist  essayed  to  embody  was  that  of  the 
supreme  deity  of  the  Hellenic  nation,  enthroned  as  a  conqueror, 
in  perfect  majesty  and  repose,  and  ruhng  with  a  nod  the  subject 
world.  Phidias  informs  us  that  the  idea  was  suggested  by  Ho- 
mer's lines  in  the  first  book  of  the  Iliad  :  — 

"Jove  said,  and  nodded  with  his  shadowy  brows; 
Waved  on  th'  immortal   head  th'  ambrosial  locks, — 
And  all  Olympus  trembled  at  his  nod."  ^ 

Unfortunately,  our  knowledge  of  this  famous  statue  is  confined  to 
literary  descriptions,  and  to  copies  on  coins.  Other  representa- 
tions of  Jove,  such  as  that  given  above,  have  been  obtained  from 
the  wall-paintings  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii. 

§  34.  Juno  ^  (Hera) ,  sister  and  wife  of  Jupiter.  According  to 
some,  her  name  (Hera)  means  Splendor  of  Heaven,  according  to 

1  Iliad  1 :  622-625,  Earl  of  Derby's  translation.  See  also  the  passage  in  Chap- 
man's translation. 


ATTRIBUTES   OF  THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  55 

Others,  the  Lady.  Some  think  it  approves  her  goddess  of  earth ; 
others,  goddess  of  the  air;  still  others,  and  probably  they  are 
right,  say  that  it  signifies  Protectress,  and  applies  to  Juno  in  her 
original  function  of  moon-goddess,  the  chosen  guardian  of  women, 
their  aid  in  seasons  of  distress.  Juno's  union  with  Jupiter  was  the 
prototype  of  earthly  marriages. 
She  is  the  type  of  matronly  virtues 
and  dignity. 

She  was  the  daughter  of  Cro- 
nus and  Rhea,  but  was  brought 
up  by  Oceanus  and  Tethys,  in 
their  dwelling  in  the  remote  west 
beyond  the  sea.  Without  the 
knowledge  of  her  parents,  she  was 
wedded  to  Jupiter  in  this  gar- 
den of  the  gods  where  ambrosial 
rivers  flowed,  and  where  Earth 
sent  up  in  honor  of  the  rite  a  tree 
of  life,  heavy  with  apples  golden 
like  the  sunset.  Juno  was  the 
most  worthy  of  the  goddesses, 
the  most  queenly ;  ox-eyed,  says 
Homer;  says  Hesiod,  golden- 
sandalled  and  golden-throned.  Glorious,  beyond  compare,  was 
her  presence,  when  she  had  harnessed  her  horses,  and  driven 
forth  the  golden-wheeled  chariot  that  Hebe  made  ready,  and  that 
the  Hours  took  apart.  Fearful,  too,  could  be  her  wrath.  For 
she  was  of  a  jealous  disposition,  which  was  not  happily  affected 
by  the  vagaries  of  her  spouse ;  and  she  was,  moreover,  prone 
to  quarrels,  self-willed,  vengeful,  proud,  even  on  occasion  deceit- 
ful. Once,  indeed,  she  conspired  with  Minerva  and  Neptune  to 
bind  the  cloud-compeller  himself.  More  than  once  she  provoked 
him  to  blows  ;  and  once  to  worse  than  blows,  —  for  her  lord  and 
master  swung  her  aloft  in  the  clouds,  securing  her  wrists  in 
golden  handcuffs,  and  hanging  anvils  to  her  feet. 

1  On  the  name  Juno,  see  Commentary,  \  34. 


56 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


The  cities  that  the  ox-eyed  goddess  fovored  were  Argos,  Sparta, 
and  Mycenae.     To  her  the  peacock  and  the  cow  were  dear,  and 
many  a  grove  and  pasture  rejoiced  her 
sacred  herds. 

§  35.  Minerva  (Athene),  the  virgin- 
goddess.  She  sprang  from  the  brain  of 
Jove,  agleam  with  panoply  of  war,  bran- 
dishing a  spear,  and  with  her  battle- 
cry  awakening  the  echoes  of  heaven 
and  earth.  She  is  goddess  of  the  light- 
ning that  leaps  like  a  lance  from  the 
cloud-heavy  sky,  and  hence,  probably,  the 
name,  Athene}  She  is  goddess  of  the 
storms  and  of  the  rushing  thunder-bolt, 
and  is,  therefore,  styled  Pallas.  She  is 
the  goddess  of  the  thunder-cloud,  which 
is  symbolized  by  her  tasselled  breast-plate  of  goat-skin,  the  agis, 
whereon  is  fixed  the  head  of  Medusa,  the  Gorgon,  that  turns 
to  stone  all  beholders.  She  is  also 
the  goddess  of  war,  rejoicing  in  martial 
music,  and  protecting  the  war-horse  and 
the  war-ship.  On  the  other  hand,  she 
is  of  a  gentle,  fair,  and  thoughtful  as- 
pect. Her  Latin  name,  Mine?Ta,  is  con- 
nected with  the  Sanskrit,  Greek,  and 
Latin  words  for  mind.  She  is  eternally 
a  virgin,  the  goddess  of  wisdom,  of  skill, 
of  contemplation,  of  spinning  and  weav- 
ing, of  horticulture  and  agriculture.  She 
is  protectress  of  cities,  and  was  specially 
worshipped  in  her  own  Athens,  in  Argos, 
in  Sparta,  and  in  Troy.  To  her  were 
sacrificed  oxen  and  cows.  The  olive- 
tree,  created  by  her,  was  sacred  to  her,  and,  also,  the  owl,  the 
cock,  the  serpent,  and  the  crow. 

1  For  the  names,  Athene  and  Minerva,  see  Commentary. 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN. 


S7 


§  36.   Mars   (Ares)/  the  war-god,  son  of  Jupiter  and  Juno. 
The  meaning  of  the  name,  Ares,  is  uncertain ;  the  most  probable 


significations  are  the  Slayer,  the  Avenger,  the  Curse.  The  Roman 
god  of  war,  Mars,  is  the  bright  and  burning  one.  Homer,  in  the 
Iliad,  represents  Ares  as  the  insatiable  warrior  of  the  heroic  age, 

1  See  Commentary. 


58  CLASSIC  MYTHS  TN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

who,  impelled  by  rage  and  lust  of  violence,  exults  in  the  noise 
of  battle,  revels  in  the  horror  of  carnage.  Strife  and  slaughter 
are  the  condition  of  his  existence.  Where  the  fight  is  thickest, 
there  he  rushes  in  without  hesitation,  without  question  as  to  which 
side  is  right.  In  battle-array,  he  is  resplendent,  —  on  his  head 
the  gleaming  helmet  and  floating  plume,  on  his  arm  the  leathern 
shield,  in  his  hand  the  redoubtable  spear  of  bronze.  AN'ell- favored, 
stately,  swift,  unwearied,  puissant,  gigantic,  he  is  still  the  foe  of 
wisdom,  the  scourge  of  mortals.  Usually  he  fights  on  foot,  some- 
times from  a  chariot  drawn  by  four  horses  —  the  offspring  of  the 
North  Wind  and  a  Fury.  In  the  fray  his  sons  attend  him  —  Terror, 
Trembling,  Panic,  and  Fear,  —  also  his  sister  Eris,  or  Discord  (the 
mother  of  Strife),  his  daughter  Enyo,  miner  of  cities,  —  and  a 
retinue  of  blood-thirsty  demons.  As  typifying  the  chances  of  war, 
Mars  is,  of  course,  not  always  successful.  In  the  battles  before 
Troy,  Minerva  and  Juno  bring  him  more  than  once  to  grief;  and 
when  he  complains  to  Jupiter,  he  is  snubbed  as  a  renegade  most 
hateful  of  all  the  gods.^  His  loved  one  and  mistress  is  the:  goddess 
of  beauty  herself.  In  her  arms  the  warrior  finds  repose.  Their 
daughter  Harmonia  is  the  ancestress  of  the  unquiet  dynasty  of 
Thebes.  The  favorite  land  of  Mars  was,  according  to  Homer, 
the  rough,  northerly  Thrace.  His  emblems  are  the  spear  and  the 
burning  torch  ;  his  chosen  animals  are  haunters  of  the  battle-field, 
—  the  vulture  and  the  dog. 

§  37.  Vulcan  (Hephaestus),  son  of  Jupiter  and  Juno,  was  the 
god  of  fire,  especially  of  terrestrial  fire,  —  volcanic  eruption,  incen- 
diary flame,  the  glow  of  the  forge  or  the  hearth.  But  as  the  fires 
of  earth  are  derived  from  that  of  heaven,  perhaps  the  name, 
HephcBstus  (burning,  shining,  flaming),  referred  originally  to  the 
marv'ellous  brilliance  of  the  lightning.  Vulcan  was  the  blacksmith 
of  the  gods,  the  finest  artificer  in  metal  among  them.  His  forge 
in  Olympus  was  furnished  not  only  with  anvils  and  all  other  imple- 
ments of  the  trade,  but  with  automatic  handmaidens  of  silver  and 
gold,  fashioned  by  Vulcan  himself.     Poets  later  than  Homer  assign 

1  Iliad,  5  :  590.    See  also  21 :  395. 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN. 


59 


to  Vulcan  workshops  under  various  volcanic  islands.     From  the  cra- 
ter of  Mount  yEtna  poured  forth  the  fumes  and  flames  of  his  smithy. 
He  built  the  dwellings  of  the  gods  ;   he  made  the  sceptre  of  Jove, 
the  shields  and  spears  of  the  Olympians,  the  arrows 
of  Apollo  and  Diana,  the  breastplate  of  Hercules, 
the  shield  of  Achilles. 

He  was  lame  of  gait,  —  a  figurative  suggestion, 
perhaps,  of  the  flickering,  unsteady  nature  of  fire. 
According  to  his  own  story,*  he  was  born  halt ;  and 
his  mother,  chagrined  by  his  deformity,  cast  him 
from  Heaven  out  of  the  sight  of  the  gods.  Yet, 
again,^  he  says  that,  attempting  once  to  save  his 
mother  from  Jupiter's  wrath,  he  was  caught  by  the 
foot  and  hurled  by  the  son  of  Cronus  from  the 
heavenly  threshold :  "  All  day  I  flew ;  and  at  the 
set  of  sun  I  fell  in  Lemnos,  and  little  life  was  left 
in  me."  Had  he  not  been  lame  before,  he  had 
good  reason  to  limp  after  either  of  these  catastrophes.  He  took 
part  in  the  making  of  the  human  race,  and  in  the  special 
creation  of  Pandora.  He  assisted  also  at  the  birth  of  Mi- 
nerva, to  facilitate  which  he  split  Jupiter's  head  open  with  an 
axe. 

His  wife,  according  to  the  Iliad  and  Hesiod's  Theogony,  is 
Aglaia,  the  youngest  of  the  Ciraces  ;  but  in  the  Odyssey  it  is  Venus. 
He  is  a  glorious,  good-natured  god,  loved  and  honored  among 
men  as  the  founder  of  wise  customs  and  the  patron  of  artificers ; 
on  occasion,  as  a  god  of  healing  and  of  prophecy.  He  seems  to 
have  been,  when  he  chose,  the  cause  of  "inextinguishable  laughter" 
to  the  gods,  but  he  was  by  no  means  a  fool.  The  famous  god 
of  the  strong  arms  could  be  cunning,  even  vengeful,  when  the 
emergency  demanded. 

§  38.  Apollo,  or  Phoebus  Apollo,  the  son  of  Jupiter  and  Latona, 
was  preeminently  the  god  of  the  sun.  His  name  Phivluis  signi- 
fies the  radiant  nature  of  the  sunlight ;  his  name  Apollo,  perhaps, 


1  Iliad,  18:395. 


"  Iliad,  I  :  390. 


60 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


the  cruel  and  destructive  heat  of  noonday.     Soon  after  his  birth, 
Jupiter  would  have  sent  him  to  Delphi  to  inculcate  righteousness 

and  justice  among  the 
Greeks ;  but  the  golden 
god  Apollo  chose  first  to 
spend  a  year  in  the  land 
of  the  Hyperboreans, 
where  for  six  continuous 
months  of  the  year  there 
is  sunshine  and  spring, 
soft  climate,  profusion  of 
herbs  and  flowers,  and 
the  very  ecstasy  of  life. 
During  this  delay  the 
Delphians  sang  paeans,  — 
hymns  of  praise,  —  and 
danced  in  chorus  about 
the  tripod  (or  three-leg- 
ged stool),  where  the  ex- 
pectant priestess  of  Apollo 
had  taken  her  seat.  At 
last,  when  the  year  was 
warm,  came  the  god  in 
his  chariot  drawn  by 
swans,  —  heralded  by 
songs  of  springtide,  of  nightingales  and  swallows  and  crickets. 
Then  the  crystal  fount  of  Castalia  and  the  stream  Cephissus  over- 
flowed their  bounds,  and  mankind  made  grateful  offerings  to  the 
god.  But  his  advent  was  not  altogether  peaceful.  An  enor- 
mous serpent.  Python,  had  crept  forth  from  the  slime  with 
which,  after  the  flood,  the  Earth  was  covered ;  and  in  the 
caves  of  Mount  Parnassus  this  terror  of  the  people  lurked. 
Him  Apollo  encountered,  and  after  fearful  combat  slew,  with 
arrows,  weapons  which  the  god  of  the  silver  bow  had  not  before 
used  against  any  but  feeble  animals,  —  hares,  wild  goats,  and  such 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  61 

game.  In  commemoration  of  this  illustrious  conquest,  he  insti- 
tuted the  Pythian  games,  in  which  the  victor  in  feats  of  strength, 
swiftness  of  foot,  or  in  the  chariot  race,  should  be  crowned  with  a 
wreath  of  beech-leaves.  Apollo  brought  not  only  the  warm  spring 
and  summer,  but  also  the  blessings  of  the  harvest.  He  warded  off 
the  dangers  and  diseases  of  summer  and  autumn ;  and  he  healed 
the  sick.  He  was  patron  of  music  and  of  poetry.  Through  his 
oracle  at  Delphi,  on  the  slopes  of  Parnassus  in  Phocis,  the  Pythian 
god  made  known  the  future  to  those  who  consulted  him.  He  was 
a  founder  of  cities,  a  promoter  of  cglonization,  a  giver  of  good 
laws,  the  ideal  of  fair  and  manly  youth,  —  a  pure  and  just  god, 
requiring  clean  hands  and  pure  hearts  of  those  that  worshipped 
him.  But  though  a  god  of  life  and  peace,  the  far-darter  did  not 
shun  the  weapons  of  war.  When  presumption  was  to  be  punished, 
or  wrong  righted,  he  could  bend  his  bow,  and  slay  with  the  arrows 
of  his  sunlight.  As  in  the  days  of  his  youth  he  slew  the  Python, 
so,  also,  he  slew  the  froward  Tityus,  and  so  the  children  of  Niobe. 
While  Phoebus  Apollo  is  the  Olympian  divinity  of  the  sun,  fraught 
with  light  and  healing,  spiritual,  creative,  and  prophetic,  he  must  not 
be  confounded  with  a  god  of  the  older  dynasty,  Helios  (offspring 
of  Hyperion,  Titanic  deity  of  light),  who  represented  the  sun  in 
its  daily  and  yearly  course,  in  its  physical  rather  than  spiritual 
manifestation.  The  bow  of  Apollo  was  bound  with  laurel  in  mem- 
ory of  Daphne,  whom  he  loved.  To  him  were  sacred,  also,  many 
creatures,  —  the  wolf,  the  roe,  the  mouse,  the  he-goat,  the  ram, 
the  dolphin,  and  the  swan.* 


"The  sleepless  Hours  who  watch  me  as  I  lie,* 
Curtained  with  star-inwoven  tapestries, 

1  On  the  birth  of  Apollo,  his  adventures,  names,  festivals,  oracles,  and  his  place 
in  literature  and  art,  see  Commentary.  For  other  particulars,  see  sections  on  Myths 
of  Apollo. 

2  Hymn  of  Apollo,  by  P.  B.  Shelley. 


62 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


From  the  broad  moonlight  of  the  sky, 

Fanning  the  busy  dreams  from  my  dim  eyes, — 
Waken  me  when  their  mother,  the  gray  Dawn, 
Tells  them  that  dreams  and  that  the  moon  is  gone. 


"Then    I    arise,    and    climbing    Heaven's 
blue  dome, 
I    walk    over    the   mountains  and  the 
waves, 
Leaving  my  robe  upon  the  ocean  foam; 
My    footsteps    pave    the    clouds   with 
fire ;   the  caves 
Are  filled  with  my  bright  presence,  and 

the  air 
Leaves  the  green  earth  to  my  embraces 
bare. 

"The  sunbeams  are  my  shafts,  with  which 
I  kill 
Deceit,  that  loves  the  night  and  fears 
the  day; 
All  men  who  do  or  even  imagine  ill 

Fly  me,  and  from  the  glory  of  my  ray 
Good  minds  and  open  actions  take  new 

might, 
Until  diminished  by  the  reign  of  night. 


'  I  feed  the  clouds,  the  rainliows,  and  the  flowers 

With  their  ethereal  colors;    the  moon's  globe 
And  the  pure  stars  in  their  eternal  bowers 

Are  cinctured  with  my  power  as  with  a  robe; 
Whatever  lamps  on  Earth  or  Heaven  may  shine, 
Are  portions  of  one  power,  which  is  mine. 


"I  stand  at  noon  upon  the  peak  of  Heaven, 
Then  with  unwilling  steps  I  wander  down 
Into  the  clouds  of  the  Atlantic  even; 

P\)r  grief  that  I  depart  they  weep  and  frown : 
What  look  is  more  delightful  than  the  smile 
With  which  I  soothe  them  from  the  western  isle? 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN. 


63 


"  I  am  the  eye  with  which  the  universe 
Beholds  itself  and  knows  itself  divine; 
All  harmony  of  instrument  or  verse, 

All  prophecy,  all  medicine,  are  mine, 
All  light  of  art  or  nature; — to  my  song, 
Victory  and  praise  in  their  own  right  belong." 

§  39.  Diana  (Artemis),  twin  sister  of  Apollo,  born  on  Mount 
Cynthus,  in  the  island  of  Delos.  Latona,  the  future  mother  of 
Diana  and  Apollo,  flying  from  the  wrath  of  Juno,  had  besought, 
one  after  another,  the  islands  of  the  yEgean  to  afford  her  a  place 
of  rest ;  but  they  feared  too  much  the  potent  queen  of  heaven. 
Delos  alone  consented  to  become  the  birthplace  of  the  future 
deities.  This  isle  was  then  floating  and  unstable  ;  but  on  Latona's 
arrival,  Jupiter  fastened  it  with  adaman- 
tine chains  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea, 
that  it  might  be  a  secure  resting-place  for 
his  beloved.  The  daughter  of  Latona 
is,  as  her  name  Artemis  indicates,  a 
virgin  goddess,  the  ideal  of  modesty, 
grace,  and  maidenly  vigor.  She  is 
associated  with  her  brother,  the  prince 
of  archery,  in  nearly  all  his  adventures, 
and  in  attributes  she  is  his  feminine 
counterpart.  As  he  is  identified  with 
sunlight,  so  is  she,  his  fair-tressed 
sister,  with  the  chaste  brilliance  of  the 
moon.  Its  slender  arc  is  her  bow ;  its 
beams  are  her  arrows  with  which  she  sends  upon  womankind  a 
speedy  and  painless  death.  In  her  prerogative  of  moon-goddess 
she  is  frequently  identified  with  Selene,  daughter  of  Hyperion,  just 
as  Apollo  is  with  Helios.  Despising  the  weakness  of  love,  Diana 
imposed  upon  her  nymphs  vows  of  perpetual  maidenhood,  any 
violation  of  which  she  was  swift  and  severe  to  punish.  Graceful 
in  form  and  free  of  movement,  equipped  for  the  chase,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  bevy  of  fair  companions,  the  swift-rushing  goddess 


64  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

was  wont  to  scour  hill,  valley,  forest,  and  plain.  She  was,  how- 
ever, not  only  huntress,  but  guardian,  of  wild  beasts, — mistress 
withal  of  horses  and  kine  and  other  domestic  brutes.  She  ruled 
marsh  and  mountain ;  her  gleaming  arrows  smote  sea  as  well  as 
land.  Springs  and  woodland  brooks  she  favored,  for  in  them  she 
and  her  attendants  were  accustomed  to  bathe.  She  blessed  with 
verdure  the  meadows  and  arable  lands,  and  from  them  obtained  a 
meed  of  thanks.  When  weary  of  the  chase,  she  turned  to  music 
and  dancing ;  for  the  lyre  and  flute  and  song  were  dear  to  her. 
Muses,  Graces,  nymphs,  and  the  fair  goddesses  themselves  thronged 
the  rites  of  the  chorus-leading  queen.  But  ordinarily  a  woodland 
chapel  or  a  rustic  altar  sufficed  for  her  worship.  There  the  hunter 
laid  his  offering  —  antlers,  skin,  or  edible  portions  of  the  deer  that 
Artemis  of  the  golden  arrows  had  herself  vouchsafed  him.  The 
holy  maid,  however,  though  naturally  gracious,  gentle,  and  a  healer 
of  ills,  was,  like  her  brother,  quick  to  resent  injury  to  her 
sacred  herds,  or  insult  to  herself  To  this  stem  temper  Agamem- 
non, Orion,  and  Niobe  bore  regretful  testimony.  They  found  that 
the  "  fair-crowned  queen  of  the  echoing  chase,"  though  blithe  and 
gracious,  was  by  no  means  a  frivolous  personage. 

Diana  was  mistress  of  the  brute  creation,  nrotectress  of  youth, 
patron  of  temperance  in  all  things,  guardian  of  civil  right.  The 
cypress  tree  was  sacred  to  her ;  and  her  favorites  were  the  bear, 
the  boar,  the  dog,  the  goat,  and  specially  the  hind. 


"Queen  and  Huntress,  chaste  and  fair, 
Now  the  sun  is  laid  to  sleep. 
Seated  in  thy  silver  chair 

State  in  wonted  manner  keep: 
Hesperus  entreats  thy  light, 
Goddess  excellently  bright. 

"  Earth,  let  not  thy  envious  shade 
Dare  itself  to  interpose; 
Cynthia's  shining  orb  was  made 

Heaven  to  clear  when  day  did  close: 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN. 


65 


Bless  us  then  with  wished 

sight, 
Goddess  excellently  bright. 

'  Lay  thy  bow  of  pearl  apart, 
And   thy   crystal -shining 
quiver; 
Give  unto  the  flying  hart 
Space  to  breathe,  how  short 
soever : 
Thou  that  nnak'st  a  day  of 

night, 
Goddess   excellently 
bright."  1 


§  40.  Venus,  goddess  of  love  and  beauty,  was,  according  to  the 
more  ancient  Greek  conception,  a  daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Dione  ;  ^ 
but  Hesiod  says  that  she  arose  from  the  foam  of  the  sea  at  the 
time  of  the  wounding  of  Uranus,  and  therefore  was  called,  by  the 
Greeks,  Aphrodite,  the  foam-born.  Wafted  by  the  west  wind,  and 
borne  upon  the  surge,  she  won  first  the  island  of  Cythera ;  thence, 
like  a  dream,  she  passed  to  Cyprus,  where  the  grace  and  blos- 
som of  her  beauty  conquered  every  heart.  Everywhere,  at  the 
touch  of  her  feet  the  herbage  quivered  into  flower.  The  Hours 
and  Graces  surrounded  her,  twining  odorous  garlands  and  weaving 
robes  for  her,  that  reflected  the  hues,  and  breathed  the  perfume, 
of  crocus  and  hyacinth,  violet,  rose,  lily,  and  narcissus.  To  her  in- 
fluence is  ascribed  the  fruitfulness  of  the  animal  and  of  the  vegeta- 
ble creation.  She  is  goddess  of  gardens  and  flowers,  of  the  rose,  the 
myrtle,  and  the  linden.  The  heaths  and  slumberous  vales,  pleas- 
ant with  spring  and  vernal  breezes,  are  hers.  In  her  broidered 
girdle  lurk  "  love  and  desire,  and  loving  converse  that  steals  the 
wits  even  of  the  wise."  For  she  is  the  mistress  of  feminine 
charm  and  beauty,  the  golden,  sweetly-smiling  Aphrodite,  who 
rules  the  hearts  of  men.     She  lends  to  mortals  seductive  form  and 


1  Ben  Jonson.  Hymn  to  Diana. 


2  Iliad  5:370.  etc. 


66  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

fascination.  To  a  few,  indeed,  her  favor  is  a  blessing ;  but  to 
many  her  gifts  are  treacherous,  destructive  of  peace.  Her  various 
influence  is  exempUfied  in  the  stories  of  Pygmalion  and  Adonis, 
Paris  and  .^neas,  Helen,  Ariadne,  Psyche,  Procris,  Pasiphae,  and 
Phaedra.  Her  power  extended  over  sea  as  well  as  land  ;  and  her 
temples  rose  from  many  a  shore.  On  the  waters  swan  and  dolphin 
were  beloved  of  her  ;  in  air,  the  sparrow  and  the  dove.  She  was 
usually  attended  by  her  winged  son  Cupid,  of  whom  much  is  to 
be  told.  Especially  dear  to  her  were  Cyprus,  Cnidos,  Paphos, 
Cythera,  Abydos,  Mount  Eryx,  and  the  city  of  Corinth. 

Of  artistic  conceptions  of  Aphrodite,  the  most  famous  are 
the  statues  called  the  Venus  of  Melos,  and  the  Venus  of  the 
Medici.^  A  comparison  of  the  two  conceptions  is  instituted  in  the 
following  poem.^  The  worshipper  apostrophizes  the  Venus  of 
Melos,  that  "  inner  beauty  of  the  world,"  whose  tranquil  smile 
he  finds  more  fair  than  "The  Medicean's  sly  and  servile 
grace  "  :  — 

"From  our  low  world  no  gods  have  taken  wing; 
Even  now  upon  our  hills  the  twain  are  wandering : ' 
The  Medicean's  sly  an<i  servile  grace, 
And  the  immortal  beauty  of  thy  face. 
One  is  the  spirit  of  all  short-lived  love 
And  outward,  earthly  loveliness: 
The  tremulous  rosy  morn  is  her  mouth's  smile. 
The  sky,  her  laughing  azure  eyes  above; 
And,  waiting  for  caress, 
Lie  bare  the  soft  hill-slopes,  the  while 
Her  thrilling  voice  is  heard 

In  song  of  wind  and  wave,  and  every  flitting  bird. 
Not  plainly,  never  quite  herself  she  shows : 
Just  a  swift  glance  of  her  illumined  smile 
Along  the  landscape  goes; 

1  For  Venus  in  poetry  and  art,  see  Commentary,  §  40. 

2  From  the  Venus  of  Milo  by  E.  R.  Sill,  formerly  professor  of  English  Literature 
in  the  University  of  California.    The  cut,  p.  67,  represents  the  Melos. 

8  The  references  are  to  the  Berkeley  Hills,  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  the 
glimpses  of  the  Pacific. 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS    OF  HEAVEN. 


67 


Just  a  soft  hint  of  singing,  to  beguile 
A  man  from  all  his  toil; 
Some  vanished  gleam   of  beckon- 
ing arm,  to  spoil 
A  morning's  task  with  longing,  wild 

and  vain. 
Then  if  across  the  parching  plain 
He  seek  her,  she  with  passion  burns 
Mis  heart   to   fever,   and  he  hears 
The  west  wind's  mocking  laughter 

when  he  turns, 
Shivering  in  mist  of  ocean's  sullen 

tears. 
It  is  the  Medicean :  well  I  know 
The  arts  her  ancient   subtlety  will 

show, — 
The  stubble  field  she  turns  to  ruddy 

gold; 
The  empty  distance  she  will  fold 
In  purple  gauze;  the  warm  glow 

she  has  kissed 
Along  the  chilling  mist : 
Cheating    and    cheated    love    that 

grows  to  hate 
And  ever  deeper  loathing,  soon  or 

late. 
Thou,  too,  O  fairer  spirit,  walkest 

here 
Upon  the  lifted  hills: 
Wherever  that  still  thought  within 

the  breast 
The  inner  beauty  of  the  world  hath 

moved ; 
In  starlight  that  the  dome  of  even- 
ing fills; 
On  endless  waters  rounding  to  the 

west: 
For  them  who  thro'  that  beauty's 

veil  have  loved 
The   soul    of   all    things  beautiful 

the  best. 


68  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

For  lying  broad  awake,  long  ere  the  dawn, 

Staring  against  the  dark,  the  blank  of  space 

Opeils  immeasurably,  and  thy  face 

Wavers  and  glimmers  there  and  is  withdrawn. 

And  many  days,  when  all  one's  work  is  vain, 

And  life  goes  stretching  on,  a  waste  gray  plain, 

With  even  the  short  mirage  of  morning  gone, 

No  cool  breath  anywhere,  no  shadow  nigh 

Where  a  weary  man  might  lay  him  down  and  die, 

Lo !   thou  art  there  before  me  suddenly. 

With  shade  as  if  a  summer  cloud  did  pass. 

And  spray  of  fountains  whispering  to  the  grass. 

Oh,  save  me  from  the  haste  and  noise  and  heat 

That  spoil  life's  music  sweet : 

And  from  that  lesser  Aphrodite  there  — 

Even  now  she  stands 

Close  as  I  turn,  and  O  my  soul,  how  fair !  " 

Mercury  (Hermes),  born  in  a  cave  of  Mount  Cyllene  in 
Arcadia,  was  the  son  of  Jupiter  and  Maia 
(the  daughter  of  Atlas).  According  to 
conjecture,  his  name  Hermes  means  the 
Hastener.  Mercury,  swift  as  the  wind, 
was  the  servant  and  herald  of  Jupiter 
and  the  other  gods.  On  his  feet,  his 
shoulders,  and  his  low-crowned,  broad- 
brimmed  petasus,  or  hat,  were  wings. 
As  messenger  of  Heaven,  he  bore  a 
wand  {caduceus)  of  wood  or  of  gold, 
twined  with  snakes  and  surmounted  by  wings,  and  possessed  of 
magical  powers  over  sleeping,  waking,  and  dreams.  He  was  beau- 
tiful, and  ever  in  the  prime  of  youthful  vigor.  To  a  voice  sweet- 
toned  and  powerful,  he  added  the  persuasiveness  of  eloquence. 
But  his  skill  was  not  confined  to  speech  :  he  was,  also,  the  first  of 
inventors  —  to  him  are  ascribed  the  lyre,  the  syrinx,  and  the  flute. 
He  was  the  forerunner,  too,  of  mathematicians  and  astronomers. 
His  agility  and  strength  made  him  easily  prince  in  athletic  pur- 
suits.    His  cunning  rendered  him  a  dangerous  foe  ;  he  could  well 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  69 

play  the  trickster  and  the  thief,  as  Apollo  found  out  to  his  vexa- 
tion, and  Argus,  and  many  another  unfortunate.  His  methods, 
however,  were  not  always  questionable  ;  although  the  patron  of 
gamblers  and  the  god  of  chance,  he,  at  the  same  time,  was  the 
furtherer  of  lawful  industry  and  of  commerce  by  land  and  sea. 
The  gravest  function  of  the  Messenger  was  to  conduct  the  souls 
of  the  dead  "  that  gibber  like  bats  as  they  fare,  down  the  dank 


ways,  past  the  streams  of  Oceanus,  past  the  gates  of  the  sun  and 
the  land  of  dreams,  to  the  mead  of  asphodel  in  the  dark  realm  of 
Hades,  where  dwell  the  souls,  the  phantoms  of  men  outworn."  ^ 

§  42.  Vesta  (Hestia),  goddess  of  the  hearth,  public  and  private, 
was  the  first-born  child  of  Cronus  and  Rhea,  and,  accordingly, 
the  elder  sister  of  Jupiter,  Juno,  Neptune,  Pluto,  and  Ceres.  Vesta 
was  an  old  maid  by  choice.  Averse  to  Venus  and  all  her  ways, 
she  scorned  the  flattering  advances  of  both  Neptune  and  Apollo, 
and  resolved  to  remain  single.  Whereupon  Jupiter  gave  her  to 
sit  in  the  middle  of  his  palace,  to  receive  in  Olympus  the  choicest 
morsels  of  the  feast,  —  and,  in  the  temples  of  the  gods  on  earth, 
reverence  as  the  oldest  and  worthiest  of  Olympian  divinities. 
As  goddess  of  the  burning  hearth,  Vesta  is  the  divinity  of  the 
home  :  of  settled,  in  opposition  to  nomadic,  habits  of  life.     She 

1  Lang,  Odyssey  24 :  i ;  adapted. 


70  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

was  worshipped,  first  of  the  gods,  at  every  feast.  Before  her  shrine 
in  city  and  state  the  holy  flame  was  reUgiously  cherished.  From 
her  altars  those  of  the  other  gods  obtained  their  fires.  No  new 
colony,  no  new  home,  was  duly  consecrated  till  on  its  central  hearth 
there  glowed  coals  from  her  ancestral  hearth.  In  her  temple  at 
Rome  a  sacred  fire,  tended  by  six  virgin  priestesses  called  Vestals, 
Was  kept  religiously  aflame.  As  the  safety  of  the  city  was  held 
to  be  connected  with  its  conservation,  any  negligence,  by  which 
it  might  go  out,  was  severely  punished.  Whenever  the  fire  did 
die,  it  was  rekindled  from  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

§  43.  Of  the  Lesser  Divinities  of  Heaven  the  most  worthy  of 
mention  are  :  — 

(i)  Cupid  (Eros),  small  but  mighty  god  of  love,  the  son  of 
Venus,  and  her  constant  companion.  He  was  often  represented 
with  eyes  covered  because  of  the  blindness  of  his  actions.  With 
his  bow  and  arrows,  he  shot  the  darts  of  desire  into  the  bosoms  of 
gods  and  men.  Another  d^ty  named  Anteros,  reputed  the  brother 
of  Eros,  was  sometimes  represented  as  the  avenger  of  slighted 
love,  and  sometimes  as  the  symbol  of  reciprocal  affection.  Venus 
was  also  attended  at  times  by  Hymen,  a  beautiful  youth  of  divine 
descent,  the  personification  of  the  wedding  feast,  and  leader  of 
the  nuptial' chorus,  . 

"  Within  a  forest,  as  I  strayed 
Far  down  a  sombre  autumn  glade, 
I  found  the  god  of  love; 

His  bow  and  arrows  cast  aside, 
His  lovely  arms  extended  wide, 
A  depth  of  leaves  above, 
Beneath  o'erarching  boughs  he  made 
A  place  for  sleep  in  russet  shade. 

"  His  lips,  more  red  than  any  rose, 

Were  like  a  flower  that  overflows 

With  honey  pure  and  sweet; 

And  clustering  round  that  holy  mouth, 
The  golden  bees  in  eager  drouth 
Plied  busy  wings  and  feet; 


ATTRIBUTES   OF   THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN. 


71 


They  knew,  what  every  lover  knows, 
There's  no  such  honey-bloom  that  blows."  * 

(2)  Hebe,  daughter  of  Jupiter  and  Juno,  goddess  of  youth, 
and  cup-bearer  to  the  gods.  Ac- 
cording to  one  story,  she  resigned 
that  office  on  becoming  the  wife 
of  Hercules.  According  to  another, 
Hebe  was  dismissed  from  her  po- 
sition in  consequence  of  a  fall  which 
she  met  with  one  day  when  in 
attendance  on  the  gods.  Her  suc- 
cessor was  Ganymede,  a  Trojan  boy 
whom  Jupiter,  in  the  disguise  of  an 
eagle,  seized  and  carried  off  from 
the  midst  of  his  playfellows  on 
Mount  Ida,  bore  up  to  Heaven,  and 
installed  in  the  vacant  place. 

(3)  The  Graces,  daughters  of  Jove  by  Eurynome,  daughter  of 
Oceanus.  They  were  goddesses  presiding  over  the  banquet,  the 
dance,  all  social  pleasures,  and  polite  accomplishments.  They 
were  three  in  number, —  Euphrosyne,  Aglaia,  and  Thalia.  Spenser 
describes  the  office  of  the  Graces  thus  :  — 

These  three  on  men  all  gracious  gifts  bestow 
Which  deck  the  body  or  adorn  the  mind, 
To  make  them  lovely  or  well-favored  show; 
As  comely  carriage,  entertainment  kind, 
Sweet  semblance,  friendly  offices  that  bind, 
And  all  the  complements  of  courtesy; 
They  teach  us  how  to  each  degree  and  kind 
We  should  ourselves  demean,  to  low,  to  high, 
To  friends,  to  foes;  which  skill  men  call  civility. 

(4)  The  Muses,  daughters  of  Jupiter  and  Mnemosyne  (Mem- 
ory).    They  presided   over   song,  and   prompted   the  memory. 

1  Eros,  by  Edmund  Gosse.  For  verses  on  the  blindness  of  Cupid,  see  Lyly's 
Cupid  and  Cainpaspe  in  Commentary,  \  43. 


72 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


They  are  ordinarily  cited  as  nine  in  number ;  and  to  eacli  of  them 
was  assigned  the  presidence  over  some  department  of  Uterature, 
art,  or  science.  CaUiope  was  the  muse  of  epic  poetry,  Clio  of  his- 
tory, Euterpe  of  lyric  poetry,  Melpomene  of  tragedy,  Terpsichore 
of  choral  dance  and  song,  Erato  of  love  poetry,  Polyhymnia  of 
sacred  poetry,  Urania  of  astronomy,  Thalia  of  comedy. 

(5)  Themis,  one  of  the  Titans,  a  daughter  of  Uranus.     She  sat, 
as  goddess  of  justice,  beside  Jupiter  on  his   throne.     She  was 
beloved  of  the  father  of  gods  and  men,  and  bore  him  the  Hours, 
goddesses  who  regulated  the  seasons,  and  the  Fates. 
feti*  W   (^)   '^^®  Fates,  three  in  number,  —  Clotho,  Lachesis,  and  Atro- 
^,4.-  pos.   Their  office  was  to  spin  the  thread  of  human  destiny,  and  they 
f^f.  were  provided  with  shears,  with  which  they  cut  it  off  when  they 
^ji   pleased.^     According  to  Hesiod,  they  were  daughters  of  Night. 
^v«?<  .-.  (7)  Nemesis,  daughter  of  Night.     She  represented  the  right- 
eous anger  and  vengeance  of  the  gods,  particularly  toward  the 
\   proud,  the  insolent,  and  breakers  of  the  law 


(8)  .ffisculapius,  son  of  Apollo.  By  his  skill  in  medicine,  he 
restored  the  dead  to  life.  Being  killed  by  the  lightning  of  Jove, 
he  was  translated  to  the  ranks  of  Heaven.  His  function  was  the 
art  of  healing. 

(9)  The  Winds,  —  Boreas  or  Aquilo,  the  north  wind ;  Zephyrus 

or  Favonius,  the  west ; 
Notus  or  Auster,  the 
south  ;  and  Eurus,  the 
east.  The  first  two, 
chiefly,  have  been  cel- 
ebrated by  the  poets, 
the  former  as  the  type 
of  rudeness,  the  latter 
of  gentleness.  It  is 
said  that  Boreas  loved 

the  nymph  Orith^a,  and   tried  to  play  the  lover's  part,  but  met 

with  poor  success  :    for  it  was  hard   for  him  to  breathe  gently, 

1  For  description  of  their  spinning,  see  translation  of  Catullus  LXiv,  in  \  165. 


ATTRIBUTES    OF  THE    GODS   OF  HEAVEN.  73 

and  sighing  was  out  of  the  question.  Weary  at  last  of  fruitless 
endeavors,  he  acted  out  his  true  character,  seized  the  maiden  and 
bore  her  off.  Their  children  were  Zetes  and  Calais,  winged  war- 
riors, who  accompanied  the  Argonautic  expedition,  and  did  good 
service  in  an  encounter  with  those  monstrous  birds,  the  Harpies. 
Zephyrus  was  the  lover  of  Flora. 

Here,  too,  may  be  mentioned  ^olus,  the  king  of  the  winds, 
although  he  is  not  a  lesser  divinity  of  Heaven.  His  palace  was 
on  the  precipitous  isle  of  ^-Eolia,  where,  with  his  six  sons  and  six 
daughters,  he  kept  eternal  carouse.  The  winds,  which  he  confined 
in  a  cavern,  he  let  loose  as  he  saw  fit,  or  as  he  was  bidden  by 
superior  deities. 

(lo)  Helios,  Selene,  and  Eos,  children  of  the  Titan,  Hyperion. 
Helios  and  Selene  were  the  more  ancient  Greek  divinities  of  Sun 
and  Moon  respectively.  Helios,  the  charioteer  of  the  sun,  is,  as 
has  been  already  said,  frequently  identified  with  his  successor, 
Apollo.  The  attributes  and  adventures  of  Selene  were  merged 
in  those  of  the  more  modern  Diana.  Eos,  or,  in  Latin  nomen- 
clature, Aurora,  the  rosy-fingered  goddess  of  the  Morn,  was  mother 
of  the  stars  and  of  the  morning  and  evening  breezes. 

(ii)  Phosphtr,  the  morning-star,  the  star  of  Venus,  son  of 
Aurora  and  the  hunter  Cephalus.  Hesper,  the  evening-star,  was 
sometimes  identified  with  Phosphor. 
He  was  king  of  the  Western  Land, 
and,  say  some,  father  of  the  Hes- 
perides,  who  guarded  the  golden 
apples  of  the  sunset. 

(12)  Various  Other  Personifica- 
tions. —  The  constellation  Orion, 
whose  story  will  be  narrated ;  Vic- 
toria (Nike),  the  goddess  of  Victory ; 
Discors  (Eris),  the  goddess  of 
Strife ;  and  Iris,  goddess  of  the  rainbow,  who  is  represented  fre- 
quently as  a  messenger  of  the  gods. 


74  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE   GODS   OF   EARTH.i 

§  44.  Conception  of  the  World.  —  The  Greek  poets  believed 
the  earth  to  be  flat  and  circular.  In  their  opinion,  their  own 
country  occupied  the  middle  of  it,  and  the  central  point  was 
either  Mount  Olympus,  the  abode  of  the  gods,  or  Delphi,  famous 
for  its  oracle.  The  circular  disk  of  the  earth  was  crossed  from 
west  to  east,  and  divided  into  two  equal  parts  by  the  Sea,  as  they 
called  the  Mediterranean  and  its  continuation,  the  Euxine,  the 
only  seas  with  which  they  were  acquainted.  Around  the  earth 
flowed  River  Ocean,  from  south  to  north  on  the  western  side,  in  a 
contrary  direction  on  the  eastern.  It  flowed  in  a  steady,  equable 
current,  unvexed  by  storm  or  tempest.  The  sea,  and  all  the  rivers 
on  earth,  received  their  waters  from  it. 

The  northern  portion  of  the  earth  was  inhabited  by  the  Hyper- 
boreans, dwelling  in  bliss  and  everlasting  spring  beyond  the  moun- 
tains whose  caverns  sent  forth  the  piercing  blasts  of  the  north 
wind.  Their  country  was  inaccessible  by  land  or  sea.  They 
lived  exempt  from  disease  or  old  age,  from  toils  and  warfare.  "  I 
come  "  sings  one  of  them  :  ^  — 

"  I  come  from  a  land  in  the  sun-bright  deep, 
Where  golden  gardens  glow, 
Where  the  winds  of  the  north,  becalmed  in  sleep, 
Their  conch-shells  never  blow." 

On  the  south  side  of  the  earth,  close  to  the  stream  of  Ocean, 
dwelt  the  Ethiopians,  whom  the   gods    held  in  such  favor  that 

1  For  references  to  poetry  and  works  of  art,  see  Commentary. 

2  According  to  Thomas  Moore's  Song  of  a  Hyperborean. 


THE    GODS   OF  EARTH. 


75 


they  left  at  times  the  Olympian  abodes  to  partake  of  the  /Ethio- 
pian sacrifices  and  banquets.  On  the  western  margin  of  the  earth, 
by  the  stream  of  Ocean,  lay  the  Elysian  Plain,  where  certain 
mortals  enjoyed  an  immortality  of  bliss. 

The  Dawn,  the  Sun,  and  the  Moon  were  supposed  to  rise  out 
of  Ocean  on  the  eastern  side,  and  to  drive  through  the  air,  giving 
light  to  gods  and  men.  The  stars,  also,  except  those  forming  the 
Wain  or  Bear,  and  others  near 
them,  rose  out  of  and  sank  into 
the  stream  of  Ocean.  There  the 
sun-god  embarked  in  a  winged 
boat,  which  conveyed  him  by  the 
northern  part  of  the  earth  back 
to  his  place  of  rising  in  the  east. 

§  45.  Ceres  (Demeter),  the 
goddess  of  sowing  and  reaping, 
of  harvest  festivals,  and  of  agri- 
culture in  general,  was  sister  of 
Jupiter,  and  daughter  of  Cronus 
and  Rhea.  She  is  connected 
through  her  daughter  Proser- 
pine, queen  of  Hades,  with  the 
holy  ceremonies  and  rites  of 
death  and  of  the  lower  world. 
Of  the  institutions  founded,  or 
favored,  by  her  the  most  impor- 
tant were  the  mysteries  cele- 
brated at  Eleusis,  concerning  which  we  know  that,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  individuals  initiated  in  the  secret  ritual,  and  perhaps  with 
their  cooperation,  scenes  were  enacted  which  represented  the 
alternation  of  death  and  life  in  nature,  and,  apparently,  forecast 
the  resurrection  and  immortality  of  man.  Sacred  to  Ceres  and 
to  Proserpine  were  golden  sheaves  of  com  and  soporific  poppies ; 
while,  among  animals,  cows,  sheep,  and  pigs  were  acceptable  to 
them. 


76  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  45</.  Gaea,  or  Ge,  the  Mother  Earth,  wife  of  Uranus,  belongs 
to  the  older  order  of  gods  ;  so  also,  another  goddess  of  the  earth, 
Rhea,  the  wife  of  Cronus  and  mother  of  Jupiter.  In  Phrygia, 
Rhea  became  identified  with  Cybele,  whose  worship,  as  mother 
of  the  gods,  was,  at  a  later  period,  introduced  into  Rome.  The 
Greek  mother,  Rhea,  was  attended  by  the  Curetes ;  the  Phrygian 
mother  by  the  Corybantes,  who  celebrated  her  orgies  with  enthu- 
siastic din  of  trumpets,  drums,  and  cymbals.  Cybele  presided 
over  mountain  fastnesses  and  fortified  places. 

§  46.  Bacchus,  or  Dionysus,  the  god  of  wine,  was  the  son  of 
Jupiter  and  Semele,  daughter  of  Cadmus  of  Thebes.  He  was 
especially  the  god  of  animal  life  and  vegetation.  He  represented 
not  only  the  intoxicating  power  of  wine,  but  its  social  and  benefi- 
cent influences,  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  promoter  of  civilization, 
a  lawgiver  and  a  lover  of  peace.  His  forehead  was  crowned 
with  vine-leaves  or  ivy.  He  rode  upon  the  tiger,  the  panther,  or 
the  lynx,  or  was  drawn  by  them  in  a  car.  His  worshippers  were 
Bacchanals,  or  Bacchantes.  He  was  attended  by  Satyrs  and  Sileni, 
and  by  women  called  Maenads,  who,  as  they  danced  and  sang, 
waved  in  the  air  the  thyrsus,  a  staff  entwined  with  ivy  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  pine  cone. 

"  The  praise  of  Bacchus  then  the  sweet  musician  sung, 
Of  Bacchus  ever  fair,  and  ever  young. 
The  jolly  god  in  triumph  comes; 
Sound  the  trumpets,  beat  the  drums; 
P'lushed  with  a  purple  grace 
He  shows  his  honest  face : 
Now  give  the  hautboys  breath;    he  comes,  he  comes. 
Bacchus,  ever  fair  and  young, 

Drinking  joys  did  first  ordain; 
Bacchus'  blessings  are  a  treasure, 
Drinking  is  the  soldier's  pleasure; 
Rich  the  treasure, 
Sweet  the  pleasure. 
Sweet  is  pleasure  after  pain."i 

1  From  Alexander's  Feast,  by  Dryden. 


THE    GODS   OF  EARTH. 


77 


§  47.   The  Lesser  Divinities  of  Earth  were  :  — 

(i)  Pan,  son  of  Mercury  and  a  wood-nymph  or  Dryad.  He 
was  the  god  of  woods 
and  fields,  of  flocks  and 
shepherds.  He  dwelt 
in  caves,  wandered  on 
the  mountains  and  in 
valleys,  amused  himself 
with  the  chase,  led  the 
dances  of  the  Dryads, 
and  made  love  to  them. 
But  his  suit  was  fre- 
quently of  no  avail,  for  though  good-natured,  he  was  not  pre- 
possessing ;  his  hoofs  and  horns  did  not  enhance  his  comeli- 
ness. He  was  fond  of  music,  and  was  himself  inventor  of  the 
syrinx,  or  shepherd's  pipe,  which  he  played  in  a  masterly  manner. 
Like  other  gods  who  dwelt  in  forests,  he  was  dreaded  by  those 
whose  occupations  caused  them  to  pass 
through  the  woods  by  night ;  for  gloom 
and  loneliness  oppress  and  appal  the  mind. 
Hence  sudden  unreasonable  fright  was  as- 
cribed to  Pan,  and  called  a  Panic  terror. 

(2)  The  Nymphs.  —  Pan's  partners  in  the 
dance,  the  Dryads,  were  but  one  of  several 
classes  of  nymphs.  There  were,  beside  them, 
the  Oreads,  nymphs  of  mountains  and  grot- 
tos ;  and  the  Water-nymphs,  who  are  men- 
tioned in  §  54. 

(3)  The  Satyrs,  deities  of  the  woods  and 
fields.     They  resembled  Pan,  were  covered  with  bristly  hair,  and 
had  short,  sprouting  horns,  and  hoofs  like  those  of  goats. 


5? 


j; 


78 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE    GODS   OF   THE    UNDERWORLD. 

§  48.  The  Underworld  was  the  region  of  darkness  inhabited  by 
the  spirits  of  the  dead,  and  governed  by  Pluto  (Hades)  and 
Proserpine,  his  queen.  According  to  the  Ihad,  this  reahn  lay 
deep  in  the  bowels  of  the  Earth ; '  but  in  the  Odyssey  it  is  in 
the  far  west  on  a  low-lying  island  of  Ocean.-     The  realm  of  dark- 


ness underground  is  bounded  by  awful  rivers :  the  Styx,  sacred 
even  among  the  gods,  for  by  it  they  sealed  their  oaths,  and  the 
Acheron,  river  of  woe,  —  with  its  tributaries,  Phlegethon,  river  of 
fire,  and  Cocytus,  river  of  waiUng.     According  to  the  Odyssey, 


1  Iliad  9: 568;  22:482;  20:61. 


2  Odyssey  10 :  508. 


THE    GODS    OF  THE    UNDERWORLD.  79 

it  was  the  duty  of  Mercury  to  conduct  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  to 
this  reahn  of  Pluto ;  but  in  later  poems  we  read  that  Charon,  a 
grim  boatman,  received  them  at  the  River  ofWo^,  and  ferried 
them  across,  if  the  money  requisite  for  their  passage  had  been 
placed  in  their  mouths,  and  their  bodies  had  been  duly  buried  in 
the  world  above,'  Otherwise  he  left  them  gibbering  on  the  hither 
bank.  The  abode  of  Pluto  is  represented  as  wide-gated,  and 
thronged  with  guests.  At  the  gate  Cerberus,  a  three-headed, 
serpent- tailed  dog,  lay  on  guard, —  friendly  to  the  spirits  entering, 
but  inimical  to  those  who  would  depart.  The  palace  itself  is  dark 
and  gloomy,  set  in  the  midst  of  uncanny  fields  haunted  by  strange 
apparitions.-  The  groves  are  of  sombre  trees,  —  willows  and  silver 
poplars.  The  meads  of  Asphodel,  where  wander  the  shades,  are 
barren,  or,  at  best,  studded  with  futile  bushes  and  pale-flowered 
weeds.     This  is  the  Garden  of  Proserpine. 

Here  life  has  death  for  neighbor, 

And  far  from  eye  or  ear 
Wan  waves  and  wet  winds  labor, 

Weak  ships  and  spirits  steer; 
They  drive  adrift,  and  whither 
They  wot  not  who  make  thither; 
But  no  such  winds  blow  hither, 

And  no  such  things  grow  here. 

No  growth  of  moor  or  coppice. 

No  heather-flower  or  vine, 
But  bloomless  buds  of  poppies. 

Green  grapes  of  Proserpine, 
Pale  beds  of  blowing  rushes, 
Where  no  leaf  blooms  or  blushes 
Save  this  whereout  she  crushes 

For  dead  men  deadly  wine. 

4>  *  4>  *  >l>  4>  * 

Pale,  beyond  porch  and  portal, 

Crowned  with  calm  leaves,  she  stands 

1  ^neid  6.  ^  Odyssey  ii :  634. 


80  CLASSIC  MYTHS  m  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Who  gathers  all  things  mortal 

With  cold  immortal  hands; 
Her  languid  lips  are  sweeter 
•         Than  love's,  who  fears  to  greet  her, 
To  men  that  mix  and  meet  her 

From  many  times  and  lands. 

She  waits  for  each  and  other, 
She  waits  for  all  men  born; 

Forgets  the  earth  her  mother. 
The  life  of  fruits  and  corn; 

And  spring  and  seed  and  swallow 

Take  wing  for  her  and  follow 

Where  summer  song  sings  hollow. 
And  flowers  are  put  to  scorn. 

I|<  >l<  !|<  >i>  *  >*<  >): 

We  are  not  sure  of  sorrow, 

And  joy  was  never  sure; 
To-day  will  die  to-morrow; 

Time  stoops  to  no  man's  lure; 
And  love,  grown  faint  and  fretful. 
With  lips  but  half  regretful 
Sighs,  and  with  eyes  forgetful 

Weeps  that  no  loves  endure. 

From  too  much  love  of  living. 
From  hope  and  fear  set  free, 

We  thank  with  brief  thanksgivine 
Whatever  gods  may  be  ^ 

That  no  life  lives  forever; 

That  dead  men  rise  up  never; 

That  even  the  weariest  river 
Winds  somewhere  safe  to  sea. 

Then  star  nor  sun  shall  waken, 

Nor  any  change  of  light; 
Nor  sound  of  waters  shaken. 

Nor  any  sound  or  sight; 
Nor  wintry  winds  nor  vernal. 
Nor  days  nor  things  diurnal : 
Only  the  sleep  eternal 

In  an  eternal  night.^ 

1  From  the  Garden  of  Proserpine,  by  A.  C.  Swinburne. 


THE    GODS   OF   THE    UNDERWORLD.  81 

With  the  ghosts  of  Hades  the  Uving  might  but  rarely  communi- 
cate, and  only  through  certain  oracles  of  the  dead,  situate  by  cav- 
ernous spots  and  sheer  abysms,  deep  and  melancholy  streams,  and 
baleful  marshes.  These  naturally  seemed  to  afford  access  to  the 
world  below.  One  of  these  descents  to  the  Underworld  was  near 
Taenarum  in  Laconia ;  another,  near  Cumae  in  Italy,  was  Lake 
Avernus,  so  foul  in  its  exhalations  that,  as  its  name  portends,  no 
bird  could  fly  across  it.^  Before  the  judges  of  the  lower  world, — 
Minos,  .'Eacus,  and  Rhadamanthus,  —  the  souls  of  the  dead  were 
brought  to  trial.  The  condemned  were  assigned  to  regions  where 
all  manner  of  torment  awaited  them  at  the  hands  of  monsters  dire, 
—  the  fifty-headed  Hydra  and  the 
avenging  Furies.  Some  evil-doers,  such 
as  the  Titans  of  old,  were  doomed  to  lan- 
guish in  the  gulf  of  Tartanis  immeas- 
urably below.  But  the  souls  of  the 
guiltless  passed  to  the  Elysian  Fields, 
where  each  followed  the  chosen  pur- 
suit of  his  former  life  in  a  land  of 
spring,  sunlight,  happiness,  and  song. 
And  by  the  Fields  there  flowed  the 
river  Lethe,  from  which  the  souls  of 
those  that  were  to  return  to  the  earth 
in  other  bodies  drank  oblivion  of  their  former  lives. 

A  conception  of  the  realm  of  Pluto  in  the  western  seas,  to  which 
Hermes  conducts  the  outworn  ghosts  of  mortals,  is  recorded  in 
a  passage  of  the  Odyssey,^  already  cited  (§  41).  The  White 
Rock  which  they  pass  on  their  way  symbolizes,  perchance,  the 
bleaching  skeletons  of  the  dead.  The  people  of  this  world — of 
ghosts  and  clouds  and  darkness  —  are  also  sometimes  named  the 
Cimmerians,  and  are  then  located  in  the  far  north,  where  the  sun 
neither  rises  nor  sets.  But  Homer's  Elysium  of  the  western  seas 
is  a  happy  land,  not  tried  by  sun,  nor  cold,  nor  rain,  but  always 
fanned  by  the  gentle  breezes  of  Zephyrus.  Hither  favored  heroes 
1  .^neid  6.  2  Odyssey  24 :  i. 


82  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

pass  without  dying,  and  live  under  the  happy  rule  of  Rhadamanthus. 
The  Elysium  of  Hesiod  and  Pindar  is  likewise  in  the  Western 
Ocean,  on  the  Islands  of  the  Blessed,  the  Fortunate  Isles.  From 
this  dream  of  a  western  Elysium  may  have  sprung  the  legend  of 
the  island  Atlantis.  The  blissful  region  may  have  been  wholly 
imaginary.  It  is,  however,  not  impossible  that  the  myth  had  its 
origin  in  the  reports  of  storm-driven  mariners  who  had  caught  a 
ghmpse  of  occidental  lands.  In  these  Islands  of  the  Blest,  the 
Titans,  released  from  Tartarus  after  many  years,  dwelt  under  the 
golden  sway  of  the  white-haired  Cronus.^ 

There  was  no  heavy  heat,  no  cold, 
The  dwellers  there  wax  never  old, 

Nor  wither  with  the  waning  time, 
But  each  man  keeps  that  age  he  had 

When  first  he  won  the  fairy  clime. 
The  night  falls  never  from  on  high, 

Nor  ever  burns  the  heat  of  noon; 
But  such  soft  light  eternally 

Shines,  as  in  silver  dawns  of  June 
Before  the  sun  hath  climbed  the  sky ! 
******* 

All  these  their  mirth  and  pleasure  made 

Within  the  plain  Elysian, 

The  fairest  meadow  that  may  be. 
With  all  green  fragrant  trees  for  shade. 

And  every  scented  wind  to  fan. 

And  sweetest  flowers  to  strew  the  lea; 
The  soft  winds  are  their  servants  fleet 

To  fetch  them  every  fruit  at  will 

And  water  from  the  river  chill; 
And  every  bird  that  singeth  sweet. 

Throstle,  and  merle,  and  nightingale. 

Brings  blossoms  from  the  dewy  vale, — 
Lily,  and  rose,  and  asphodel, — 

With  these  doth  each  guest  twine  his  crown 

And  wreathe  his  cup,  and  lay  him  down 
Beside  some  friend  he  loveth  well.^ 

1  Hesiod,  Works  and  Days,  169. 

2  From  the  Fortunate  Islands,  by  Andrew  Lang, 


THE    GODS   OF   THE    UNDERWORLD. 


83 


§  49.  Pluto,  or  Hades  was  brother  of  Jupiter.  To  him  fell  the 
sovereignty  of  the  lower  world  and  the  shades  of  the  dead.  In 
his  character  of  Hades,  the  viewless,  he  is  hard  and  inexorable. 
By  virtue  of  the  helmet  or  cap  given  him 
by  the  Cyclopes,  he  moved  hither  and 
yon,  dark,  unseen,  —  hated  of  mortals. 
He  was,  however,  lord  not  only  of  all  that 
descends  to  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  but 
of  all  that  proceeds  from  the  earth ;  and 
in  the  latter  aspect  he  was  revered  as 
Pluto,  or  the  giver  of  wealth.  At  his 
pleasure  he  visited  the  realms  of  day, — 
as  when  he  carried  off  Proserpina ;  occa- 
sionally he  journeyed  to  Olympus ;  but 
otherwise  he  ignored  occurrences  in  the 
upper  world,  nor  did  he  suffer  his  subjects, 
by  returning,  to  find  them  out.  Mortals, 
when  they  called  on  his  name,  beat  the 
ground  with  their  hands,  and,  averting 
their  faces,  sacrificed  black  sheep  to  him  ^  and  to  his  queen.  He 
is  known  also  as  Dig,  Orcus,  and  Tartarus.'°^'^'"v-S*<"?  *  U-^-- Wc^  °-'^ 

§  50.   Proserpina  (Persephone)  was  the  daughtet-  of  Ceres  and  .|^ 
Jupiter.     She  was  queen  of  Hades,  —  a  name  applied  both  to  the  \    ■ 
ruler  of  the  shades  and  to  his  realm.     When  she  is  goddess  oi  ^g^, 
spring,   dear  to   mankind,  Proserpina  bears  a  cornucopia  over-  VuJ  «" 
flowing  with    flowers,  and  revisits   the   earth   in   duly  recurring 
season.     But  when  she  is  goddess  of  death,  sitting  beside  Pluto, 
she  directs  the  Furies,  and,  like  her  husband,  is  cruel,  unyielding, 
inimical  to  youth  and  life  and  hope.     In  the  story  of  her  descent 
to  Hades  will  be  found  a  further  account  of  her  attributes  and 
fortunes. 

§51.    The  Lesser  Divinities  of  the  Underworld  were  :  — 

(i)  ^acus,  Rhadamanthus,  and  Minos,  sons  of  Jupiter  and 
judges  of  the  shades  in  the  lower  world,  ^acus  had  been  during 
his  earthly  life  a  righteous  king  of  the  island  of  .^gina.     Minos 


84  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

had  been  a  famous  lawgiver  and  king  of  Crete.     The  life  of 
Rhadamanthus  was  not  eventful.    *-<',''«''j-J  .utii-iijk^Li/., -^^cij.-t. 
'^•'*h,fc*uft(2)  The  Furies  (Erinyes,  or  Eumenides),  Alecto,  Tisiphone, 
\        and  Megaera,  bom  of  the  blood  of  the  wounded  Uranus.     They 
were  attendants  of  Proserpina.     They  punished  with  the  frenzies 
of  remorse  the  crimes  of  those  who  had  escaped  from,  or  defied, 
public  justice.     The   heads  of  the    Furies  were  wreathed  with 
serpents. 
t-,\A*  '.**v^4E.(3)  Hecate,  a  mysterious   divinity  sometimes   identified  with 
'iU».ii  Diana  and  sometimes  with  Proserpina.     As  Diana  represents  the 
,,  S^*^moonlight  splendor  of  night,  so  Hecate  represents  its  darkness 
•  ^yp  and  terrors.     She  haunted   cross-roads  and  graveyards,  was  the 
,  "       '  goddess  of  sorcery  and  witchcraft,  and  wandered  by  night,  seen 
I'Ti^'/^only  by  the  dogs,  whose  barking  told  of  her  approach. 

C.'  (4)  Sleep,  or  Somnus  (Hypnos),  and  Death  (Thanatos),  sons 
.*u&x~i  of  Night.^  They  dwell  in  subterranean  darkness.  The  former 
'  •  fl^ .  brings  to  mortals  solace  and  fair  dreams,  and  can  lull  the  shining 
tn,*  eyes  of  Jove  himself.  The  latter  closes  forever  the  eyes  of  men. 
^4  Dreams,  too,  are  sons  of  Night.^  They  dwell  beside  their  brother, 
'^.  Death,  along  the  Western  Sea.  Their  abode  has  two  gates,  —  one 
*l^  of  ivory,  whence  issue  false  and  flattering  visions ;  the  other  of 
^^i^,,v^    horn,  through  which  true  dreams  and  noble  pass  to  men.^ 

y^^'  1  Iliad  14:231;  16:672. 

fjL'   '(*'Wi  I"         2  Odyssey  24 :  12 ;  19:560.     Ovid,  Metamorphoses  11 : 592. 

%4  <{twM  V  \i^xi[    '  ^°''  genealogical  table,  see  Commentary,  §  51. 


\M4 

ill  sJxV^  ;u:--f^ 


THE    GODS    OF  THE    WATERS. 


85 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE   GODS    OF   THE   WATERS.^ 


§  52.  There  were  two  d)niasties  of  the  sea.  The  Older,  which 
flourished  during  the  rule  of  Cronus,  was  founded  by  the  Titans, 
Oceanus  and  Tethys,  from  whom  sprang  three  thousand  rivers,  and 
ocean-nymphs  unnumbered.  The  palace  of  Oceanus  was  beyond 
the  hmits  of  the  bountiful  earth,'^ 
surrounded  by  gardens  and  all 
things  fair.  From  ages  imme- 
morial another  dweller  in  the 
glimmering  caves  of  Ocean  was 
Pontus  (the  deep  sea,  or  the 
water-way),  who  became,  by 
Mother  Earth,  father  of  Ne- 
reus.  This  Nereus,  a  genial 
old  man  of  the  sea,  was  distinguished  for  his  prophetic  gifts,  his 
knowledge,  his  love  of  truth  and  justice.  Taking  to  wife  one  of 
the  daughters  of  Oceanus,  the  nymph  Doris,  he  was  blessed  with 
a  family  of  fifty  fair  daughters,  the  Nereids.  Of  these  daughters 
the  most  famous  are  Galatea,  Thetis,  and  Amphitrite ;  the  last  of 
whom  gave  her  hand  to  Neptune,  brother  of  Jove,  and  thus  united 
the  Older  and  the  Younger  dynasties  of  the  sea. 

§  53.  Of  the  Younger  Dynasty  of  the  waters  Neptune  and 
Amphitrite  were  the  founders.  Neptune's  palace  was  in  the 
depths  of  the  sea,  near  ^gae  in  Eubcea ;  but  he  made  his  home 
on  Olympus  when  he  chose.  The  symbol  of  his  power  was  the 
trident,  or  three-pronged  spear,  with  which  he  could  shatter  rocks, 


1  For  references  to  poetry  and  works  of  art,  see  Commentary. 

2  Iliad  14 :  303. 


86  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

call  forth  or  subdue  storms,  and  shake  the  shores  of  earth.  He 
created  the  horse,  and  was  the  patron  of  horse  races.  His  own 
steeds  were  brazen-hoofed   and   golden-maned.     They  drew  his 

chariot  over  the  sea,  which 
became  smooth  before  him, 
while  dolphins  and  other  mon- 
sters of  the  deep  gambolled 
about  his  path.  In  his  honor 
black  and  white  bulls,  white 
boars,  and  rams  were  sacri- 
ficed. 

§  54.    Lesser  Divinities  of 
the  Waters '  were  :  — 

( I )  Triton,  the  son  of  Nep- 
tune   and    Amphitrite,    trum- 
peter of  Ocean.     By  his  blast  on  the  sea-shell  he  stirred  or  allayed 
the  waves. 

(2)  Proteus,  an  attendant,  and  according  to  certain  traditions, 
a  son  of  Neptune.  Like  Nereus,  he  was  a  little  old  man  of  the 
sea.  He  possessed  the  prophetic  gift  and  the  power  of  changing 
his  shape  at  will. 

(3)  The  Harpies,  foul  creatures,  with  heads  of  maidens,  bodies, 
wings,  and  claws  of  birds,  and  faces  pale  with  hunger.  They  are 
the  offspring  of  Thaumas,  a  son  of  Pontus  and  Gaea. 

(4)  The  uncanny  offspring  of  Phorcys  and  Ceto,  —  children  of 
Pontus,  —  who  rejoiced  in  the  horrors  of  the  sea  :  — 

(a)  The  Graeae,  three  hoary  witches,  with  one  eye  between  them 

which  they  used  in  turn. 
{b)  The  Gorgons,  whose  glance  was  icy  death. 
{c)  The  Sirens,  muses  of  the  sea  and  of  death,  who  by  their 

sweet  singing  enticed  seafarers  to  destruction. 
{d)  Scylla,  also  destructive  to  mariners,  a  six-headed  monster, 

whose  lower  limbs  were  serpents  and  ever-barking  dogs. 

(5)  Atlas,  who  stood  in  the  far  west,  bearing  on  his  shoulders 

1  For  genealogical  table,  see  Commentary,  §§  52-54. 


THE    GODS    OF   THE    WATERS.  87 

the  vault  of  heaven.  He  was  once  regarded  as  a  divinity  of  the 
sea,  but  later  as  a  mountain.  He  was  the  son  of  Prometheus,  and 
the  father  of  three  classes  of  nymphs,  —  the  Pleiads,  the  Hyads, 
and,  according  to  some  stories,  the  Hesperids.  The  last-men- 
tioned, assisted  by  their  mother,  Hesperis,  and  a  dragon,  guarded 
the  golden  apples  of  the  tree  that  had  spnmg  up  to  grace  the 
wedding  of  Jove  and  Juno.  The  daughters  of  Atlas  were  not 
themselves  divinities  of  the  sea. 

(6)  The  Water-nymphs.  —  Beside  the  Oceanids  and  the  Nereids, 
who  have  already  been  mentioned,  of  most  importance  were  the 
Naiads,  daughters  of  Jupiter.  They  presided  over  brooks  and  foun- 
tains. Other  lesser  powers  of  the  Ocean  were  Glaucus,  Leucothea, 
and  Melicertes,  of  whom  more  is  said  in  another  section. 

The  sympathy  with  classical  ideals,  which  is  requisite  to  a  due 
appreciation  of  the  Greek  theogony,  is  nowadays  a  rare  possession. 
There  is,  however,  no  strain  of  simulated  regret  in  the  following 
statement  of  the  difference  between  ancient  and  modem  concep- 
tions of  nature. 

The  world  is  too  much  with  us;   late  and  soon, 
Getting  and  spending,  we  lay  waste  our  powers : 
Little  we  see  in  Nature  that  is  ours; 
We  have  given  our  hearts  away,  a  sordid  boon ! 
This  sea  that  bares  her  bosom  to  the  moon; 
The  winds  that  will  be  howling  at  all  hours, 
And  are  upgathered  now  like  sleeping  flowers; 
For  this,  for  everything,  we  are  out  of  tune; 
It  moves  us  not.  —  Great  God !    I'd  rather  be 
A  Pagan  suckled  in  a  creed  outworn; 
So  might  I,  standing  on  this  pleasant  lea. 
Have  glimpses  that  would  make  me  less  forlorn; 
Have  sight  of  Proteus  rising  from  the  sea; 
Or  hear  old  Triton  blow  his  wreathed  horn,' 

1  By  Wordsworth. 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE   ROMAN    DIVINITIES. 

§55.  Gods  Common  to  Greece  and  Italy.  —  Of  the  deities 
already  mentioned,  the  following,  although  they  were  later  identi- 
fied with  certain  Greek  gods  and  goddesses^  whose  characteristics 
and  adventures  they  assumed,  had  an  independent  origin  or  wor- 
ship in  Italy :  Jupiter  (Zeus)  ;  Juno  (Hera)  ;  Minerva  (Athene)  ; 
Diana  (Artemis)  ;  Mars  (Ares)  ;  Venus  (Aphrodite)  ;  Vulcanus, 
or  Mulciber  (Hephaestus)  ;  Vesta  (Hestia)  ;  Mercurius  (Hermes)  ; 
Neptunus  (Posidon)  ;  Ceres  (Demeter)  ;  Liber  (Bacchus)  ;  Libera 
(Proserpina)  ;  Magna  Mater,  the  great  mother  of  the  gods  (Rhea, 
Cybele)  ;  Orcus  (Pluto,  Hades)  ;  Tellus,  the  Earth  (Gaea). 

§  56.  Italian  Gods. — There  were  also  divinities  always  pe- 
culiar to  Roman  mythology.  Of  these  the  more  important 
are :  — 

(i)  Saturn,  an  ancient  Italian  deity.  Fanciful  attempts  were 
made  to  identify  him  with  the  Grecian  god  Cronus ;  and  it  was 
fabled  that  after  his  dethronement  by  Jupiter,  he  fled  to  Italy, 
where  he  reigned  during  the  Golden  Age.  In  memory  of  his 
dominion,  the  feast  of  Saturnalia  was  held  every  year  in  the  winter 
season.  Then  all  public  business  was  suspended ;  declarations  of 
war  and  criminal  executions  were  postponed  ;  friends  made  pres- 
ents to  one  another  \  and  even  slaves  were  indulged  with  great 
liberties.  A  feast  was  given  them  at  which  they  sat  at  table,  while 
their  masters  served,  to  show  the  natural  equality  of  men,  and 
that  all  things  belonged  equally  to  all,  in  the  reign  of  Saturn. 
The  wife  of  Saturn  was  Ops,  goddess  of  sowing  and  harvest  (later 
confounded  with  Rhea). 

1  Names  of  the  corresponding  Greek  divinities  are  in  parentheses. 


THE   ROMAN  DIVINITIES. 


89 


(2)  Janus,  the  porter  of  Heaven.  He  opens  the  year,  the  first 
month  being  named  after  him.  He  is  the  guardian  deity  of  gates, 
on  which  account  he  is  commonly  rep- 
resented as  facing  both  ways.  His 
temples  at  Rome  were  numerous.  In 
war  time  the  gates  of  the  principal  ones 
were  always  open.  In  peace  they  were 
closed ;  but  they  were  shut  only  once 
between  the  reign  of  Numa  and  that  of 
Augustus. 

(3)  Quirinus,  a  war-god,  said  to  be 
no  other  than  Romulus,  the  founder 
of  Rome,  exalted  after  his  death  to  a  place  among  the  immortals. 

(4)  Bellona,  a  war-goddess. 

(5)  Lucina,  the  goddess  who  brings  to  light,  hence  the 
goddess  of  childbirth  :  a  title  bestowed  upon  both  Juno  and 
Diana. 

(6)  Terminus,  the  god  of  landmarks.  His  statue  was  a 
rude  stone  or  post,  set  in  the  ground  to  mark  the  boundaries 
of  fields. 

(7)  Faunus,  the  grandson  of  Saturn.  He  was  worshipped  as 
a  god  of  fields  and  shepherds,  and  also  of  prophecy.  His  name 
in  the  plural,  Fauni,  expressed  a  class  of  gamesome  deities,  like 
the  Satyrs  of  the  Greeks.  There  was  also  a  goddess  called  Fauna, 
or  Bona  Dea  (good  goddess).  To  Maia,  wife  of  Vulcan,  this 
designation.  Bona  Dea,  was  sometimes  applied. 

(8)  Sylvanus,  presiding  over  forest-glades  and  ploughed  fields. 

(9)  Pales,  the  goddess  presiding  over  cattle  and  pastures. 
Pomona,  presiding  over  fruit  trees.  Flora,  the  goddess  of  flowers. 
Vertumnus,  the  husband  of  Pomona,  was  guardian  of  fruit  trees, 
gardens,  and  vegetables. 

"  Pomona  loves  the  orchard, 
And  Liber  loves  the  vine, 
And  Pales  loves  the  straw-built  shed 
Warm  with  the  breath  of  kine; 


90  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE, 

And  Venus  loves  the  whisper 

Of  plighted  youth  and  maid 
In  April's  ivory  moonlight, 

Beneath  the  chestnut  shade."  ^ 

(lo)  The  Penates,  gods  who  were  supposed  to  attend  to  the 
welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  family.  Their  name  is  derived  from 
Penus,  the  storehouse  or  inner  chamber,  which  was  sacred  to 
them.  Every  master  of  a  family  was  the  priest  to  the  Penates  of 
his  own  house. 

The  Lares,  or  Lars,  were  also  tutelary  deities,  but  they  differed 
from  the  Penates  since  they  were  regarded  as  the  deified  spirits 
of  ancestors,  who  watched  over  and  protected  their  descendants. 
The  Lares  were  more  particularly  divinities  presiding  over  the 
household  or  family ;  but  there  were  also  public  Lares,  or  guardian 
spirits  of  the  city.  Lares  of  the  precincts.  Lares  of  the  fields,  lares 
of  the  highways,  and  Lares  of  the  sea.  To  the  Penates,  to  the 
domestic  Lares  (whose  images  were  preserved  in  a  private  shrine), 
and  to  the  Manes  (shades  that  hovered  over  the  place  of  burial), 
the  family  prayers  of  the  Romans  were  addressed.  Other  spirits, 
the  Lemures  and  Larvae,  more  nearly  correspond  to  our  ghosts. 

The  Romans  believed  that  every  man  had  his  Genius,  and  every 
woman  her  Juno ;  that  is,  a  spirit  who  had  given  them  being,  and 
was  regarded  as  a  protector  through  life.  On  birthdays  men  made 
offerings  to  their  Genius,  women  to  their  Juno. 

(ii)  Other  Italian  deities  were  the  Camenae,  three  in  number, 
goddesses  of  prophecy  and  healing,  later  identified  with  the  Muses ; 
Sol,  the  Sun  •  Luna,  the  Moon  ;  Mater  Matuta,  the  Dawn  ;  Juven- 
tus,  Youth ;  Fides,  Honesty ;  Feronia,  goddess  of  groves  and 
freedmen ;  and  a  great  number  of  personified  abstractions  of  con- 
duct and  experience,  such  as  Fortune  and  Health. 

Many  of  these  Latin  divinities  were  derived  from  the  earlier 
cult  and  ritual  of  the  Etruscan  inhabitants  of  Italy. 

1  From  Macaulay's  Prophecy  of  Capys. 


c_  h.iioeuon 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.    91 


CHAPTER    X. 


MYTHS   OF   THE   GREAT   DIVINITIES    OF    HEAVEN. 
I.     MriHS   OF   JUPHER   AND   J  UNO. 

§  57.  Not  a  few  of  the  adventures  of  Jupiter  turn  upon  his 
love  affairs.  Among  the  immortals,  his  queen  had  rivals  in  his 
affection :  for  instance,  L^itona,  a  goddess  of  darkness,  daughter 
of  the  Titans  Coeus  p 
and  Phcebe.  This  i 
goddess  became,  as 
we  have  already  seen, 
the  mother  of  Apollo 
and  Diana.  The  ire 
of  Juno  against  her 
was  never  appeased. 
In  consequence  of  it, 
numerous  trials  were 
visited  upon  Latona, 
some  of  which  find 
a  place  among  the 
adventures  of  her 
children. 

§  58.  Not  only  with 
immortals  but  with  mortals  were  Jupiter's  relations  sometimes  of 
a  dubious  character.  His  devotion  to  the  beautiful  daughters 
of  men  involved  him  in  frequent  altercations  with  his  justly  jeal- 
ous spouse.  Of  his  fondness  for  Danae,  whom  he  approached  in 
a  shower  of  gold,  particulars  are  given  in  the  story  of  her  son 
Perseus  ;   of  his  love  for  .\lcmene,  the  granddaughter  of  that 


92 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Perseus,  we  are  informed  in  the  myths  of  her  son  Hercules ;  and 
of  his  attentions  to  Leda,  whom  he  wooed  in  guise  of  a  swan,  we 
leam  in  the  accounts  of  their  children  Pollux  and  Helen,  Other 
love  passages,  upon  which  narratives  depend,  concern  lo,  Callisto, 
Europa,  Semele,  ^gina,  and  Antiope. 

§  59.  lo  *  was  of  divine  ancestry.  Her  father  was  the  river-god 
Inachus,  son  of  Oceanus.  It  is  said  that  Juno,  one  day,  perceiving 
the  skies  suddenly  overcast,  surmised  that  her  husband  had  raised 
a  cloud  to  hide  some  escapade.  She  brushed  away  the  darkness, 
and  saw  him,  on  the  banks  of  a  glassy  river,  with  a  beautiful  heifer 
standing  near.     Juno  suspected,  with  reason,  that  the  heifer's  form 


concealed  some  fair  nymph  of  mortal  mould.  It  was  lo,  whom 
Jupiter,  when  he  became  aware  of  the  approach  of  his  wife,  had 
changed  into  that  form. 

The  ox-eyed  goddess  joined  her  husband,  noticed  the  heifer, 
praised  its  beauty,  and  asked  whose  it  was,  and  of  what  herd. 
Jupiter,  to  stop  questions,  replied  that  it  was  a  fresh  creation  from 
the  earth.  Juno  begged  it  as  a  gift.  What  could  the  king  of  gods 
and  men  do?  He  was  loath  to  surrender  his  sweetheart  to  his 
wife ;  yet  how  refuse  so  trifling  a  present  as  a  heifer?  He  could 
not,  without  exciting  suspicion ;  and  he,  therefore,  consented.  The 
goddess  delivered  the  heifer  to  Argus,  to  be  strictly  watched. 

Now  Argus  had  a  hundred  eyes  in  his  head,  and  never  went 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  i :  700  et  si-q. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.     93 

to  sleep  with  more  than  two  at  a  time,  so  that  he  kept  watch  of 
lo  constantly.  He  suffered  her  to  graze  through  the  day,  and  at 
night  tied  a  rope  round  her  neck.  She  would  have  stretched  out 
her  arms  to  implore  freedom  of  Argus,  but  that  she  had  no  arms 
to  stretch  out,  and  her  voice  was  a  bellow.  She  yearned  in  vain 
to  make  herself  known  to  her  father.  At  length  she  bethought 
herself  of  writing,  and  inscribed  her  name  —  it  was  a  short  one  — 
with  her  hoof  on  the  sand.  Inachus  recognized  it,  and  discovering 
that  his  daughter,  whom  he  had  long  sought  in  vain,  was  hidden 
under  this  disguise,  mourned  over  her.  While  he  thus  lamented, 
Argus,  observing,  drove  her  away,  and  took  his  seat  on  a  bank, 
from  whence  he  could  see  in  every  direction. 

Jupiter,  grieved  by  the  sufiFerings  of  his  mistress,  sent  Mercury 
to  despatch  Argus.  Mercury  took  his  sleep-producing  wand,  and 
presented  himself  on  earth  as  a  shepherd  driving  his  flock.  As 
he  strolled,  he  blew  upon  his  syrinx  or  Pandsean  pipes.  Argus 
listened  with  delight.  "Young  man,"  said  he,  "come  and  take  a 
seat  by  me  on  this  stone.  There  is  no  better  place  for  your  flock 
to  graze  in  than  hereabouts,  and  here  is  a  pleasant  shade  such 
as  shepherds  love."  Mercury  sat  down,  talked,  told  stories  till  it 
grew  late,  and  played  upon  his  pipes  his  most  soothing  strains,  hop)- 
ing  to  lull  the  watchful  eyes  to  sleep,  but  in  vain ;  for  Argus  still 
contrived  to  keep  some  of  his  eyes  open,  though  he  shut  the  rest. 

But  among  other  stories.  Mercury  told  him  how  the  instrument 
on  which  he  played  was  invented.  "  There  was  a  certain  nymph," 
said  he,  "  whose  name  was  Syrinx,  —  much  beloved  by  the  satyrs 
and  spirits  of  the  wood.  She  would  have  none  of  them,  but  was  a 
faithful  worshipper  of  Diana,  and  followed  the  chase.  Pan,  meet- 
ing her  one  day,  wooed  her  with  many  compliments,  likening  her 
to  Diana  of  the  silver  bow.  Without  stopping  to  hear  him,  she  ran 
away.  But  on  the  bank  of  the  river  he  overtook  her.  She  called 
for  help  on  her  friends,  the  water-nymphs.  They  heard  and  con- 
sented. Pan  threw  his  arms  around  what  he  supposed  to  be  the 
form  of  the  nymph,  and  found  he  embraced  only  a  tuft  of  reeds. 
As  he  breathed  a  sigh,  the  air  sounded  through  the  reeds,  and 


94  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 

produced  a  plaintive  melody.  Whereupon,  the  god,  charmed  with 
the  novelty,  and  with  the  sweetness  of  the  music,  said,  'Thus, 
then,  at  least,  you  shall  be  mine.'  Taking  some  of  the  reeds,  of 
unequal  lengths,  and  placing  them  together,  side  by  side,  he  made 
an  instrument  and  called  it  Syrinx,  in  honor  of  the  nymph." 
j  Before  Mercury  had  finished  his  story  he  saw  the  eyes  of  Argus  all 
asleep.  At  once  he  slew  him,  and  set  lo  free.  Tbe  eyes  of  Argus 
Juno  took  and  scattered  as  ornaments  on  the  tail  oi'  her  peacock, 
where  they  remain  to  this  day. 

But  the  vengeance  of  Juno  was  not  yet  satiated.  She  sent  a 
gadfly  to  torment  lo,  who,  in  her  flight,  swam  through  the  sea, 
named  after  her,  Ionian.  Afterward,  roaming  over  many  lands, 
she  reached  at  last  the  banks  of  the  Nile.  Then  Jupiter  inter- 
ceded for  her ;  and  upon  his  engaging  not  to  pay  her  any  further 
attention,  Juno  consented  to  restore  her  to  her  form. 

In  a  poem  dedicated  to  Leigh  Hunt,  by  Keats,  the  following 
allusion  to  the  story  of  Pan  and  Syrinx  occurs  :  — 

"So  did  he  feel  who  pulled  the  boughs  aside, 
TWH  we  might  look  into  a  forest  wide,  .  .  . 
Telling  us  how  fair  trembling  Syrinx  fled 
Arcadian  Pan,  with  such  a  fearful  dread. 
Poor  nymph — poor  Pan  —  how  he  did  weep  to  find 
Nought  but  a  lovely  sighing  of  the  wind 
Along  the  reedy  stream;    a  half-heard  strain, 
Full  of  sweet  desolation,  balmy  pain." 

§  60.  Callisto  of  Arcadia  was  another  maiden  who  excited  the 
jealousy  of  Juno.  Her,  the  goddess  changed  into  a  bear.  Often, 
frightened  by  the  dogs,  Callisto,  though  lately  a  huntress,  fled  in 
terror  from  the  hunters.  Often,  too,  she  fled  from  the  wild  beasts, 
forgetting  that  she  was  now  a  wild  beast  herself;  and  bear,  as  she 
was,  she  feared  the  bears. 

One  day  a  youth  espied  her  as  he  was  hunting.  She  saw  him, 
and  recognized  him  as  her  son  Areas,  grown  to  manhood.  She 
stopped  and  felt  inclined  to  embrace  him.  He,  alarmed,  raised 
his  hunting-spear,  and  was  on  the  point  of  transfixing  her,  but 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.      95 

Jupiter  arrested  the  crime,  and   snatching  away  both   of  them, 
placed  them  in  the  heavens  as  the  Great  and  Little  Bear. 

Juno,  enraged  at  seeing  her  rival  so  set  in  honor,  hastened  to 
ancient  Tethys  and  Oceanus,  and,  complaining  that  she  was  sup- 
planted in  Heaven,  cried,  "So  do  my  punishments  result  —  such 
is  the  extent  of  my  power  !  I  forbade  her  to  wear  human  form, 
—  she  and  her  hateful  son  are  placed  among  the  stars.  Better 
that  she  should  have  resumed  her  former  shape,  as  I  permitted  lo 
to  do.  Perhaps  my  husband  means  to  take  her  to  wife,  and  put 
me  away  !  But  you,  my  foster-parents,  if  you  feel  for  me,  and  see 
with  displeasure  this  unworthy  treatment  of  me,  show  it,  I  beseech 
you,  by  forbidding  this  guilty  couple  from  coming  into  your 
waters."  The  powers  of  the  Ocean  assented,  and  consequently 
the  two  constellations  of  the  Great  and  Little  Bear  move  round  • 
and  round  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  pole,  but  never  sink,  as  do 
the  other  stars,  beneath  the  Ocean.^ 

§  6i.  Europa  was  the  daughter  of  Agenor,  king  of  Phoenicia, 
son  of  the  god  Neptune.  The  story  of  Jupiter's  love  for  her  is 
thus  told  by  the  idyllic  poet,  Moschus :  — 

To  Europa,  princess  of  Asia,  once  on  a  time,  a  sweet  dream  was  sent  by 
Cypris,  when  the  third  watch  of  the  night  sets  in,  and  near  is  the  dawning; 
when  sleep  more  sweet  than  honey  rests  on  the  eyelids,  limb-loosening  sleep, 
that  binds  the  eyes  with  his  soft  bond,  when  the  flock  of  truthful  dreams  fares 
wandering.  .  .  . 

Then  she  beheld  two  continents  at  strife  for  her  sake,  Asia  and  the  further 
shore,  both  in  the  shape  of  women.  Of  these  one  had  the  guise  of  a  stranger, 
the  other  of  a  lady  of  that  land,  and  closer  still  she  clung  about  her  maiden, 
and  kept  saying  how  she  was  her  mother,  and  herself  had  nursed  Europa. 
But  that  other  with  mighty  hands,  and  forcefully,  kept  haling  the  maiden, 
nothing  loth;  declaring  that,  by  the  will  of  regis-bearing  Jupiter,  Europa  was 
destined  to  be  her  prize. 

But  Europa  leaped  forth  from  her  strown  bed  in  terror,  with  beating 
heart,  in  such  clear  vision  had  she  beheld  the  dream.  ,  .  .  And  she  said,  "  Ah  ! 
who  was  the  alien  woman  that  I  beheld  in  my  sleep?  How  strange  a  longing 
for  her  seized  my  heart,  yea,  and  how  graciously  she  herself  did  welcome  me, 
and  regard  me  as  it  had  been  her  own  child !  Ve  blessed  gods,  I  pray  you, 
prosper  the  fulfilment  of  the  dream  !  " 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  2  :  410  et  seq. 


%  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 

Therewith  she  arose,  and  began  to  seek  the  clear  maidens  of  her  company, 
girls  of  like  age  with  herself,  born  in  the  same  year,  beloved  of  her  heart,  the 
daughters  of  noble  sires,  with  whom  she  was  always  wont  to  sport,  when  she 
was  arrayed  for  the  dance,  or  when  she  would  bathe  her  bright  body  at  the 
mouths  of  the  rivers,  or  would  gather  fragrant  lilies  on  the  leas.  .  .  . 

Now  the  girls,  so  soon  as  they  were  come  to  the  flowering  meadows,  took 
great  delight  in  various  sorts  of  flowers,  whereof  one  would  pluck  sweet- 
breathed  narcissus,  another  the  hyacinth,  another  the  violet,  a  fourth  the 
creeping  thyme;  and  on  the  ground  there  fell  many  petals  of  the  meadows 
rich  with  spring.  Others,  again,  were  emulously  gathering  the  fragrant  tresses 
of  the  yellow  crocus;  but  in  the  midst  of  them  all  the  princess  culled  with 
her  hand  the  splendor  of  the  crimson  rose,  and  shone  preeminent  among  them 
all  like  the  foam-born  goddess  among  the  Graces.  Verily,  she  was  not  for 
long  to  set  her  heart's  delight  upon  the  flowers.  .  .  .  For  of  a  truth,  the  son 
of  Cronus,  so  soon  as  he  beheld  her,  was  trouliled,  and  his  heart  was  subdued 
by  the  sudden  shafts  of  Cypris,  who  alone  can  conquer  even  Jupiter.  There- 
fore, both  to  avoid  the  wrath  of  jealous  Juno,  and  being  eager  to  beguile  the 
maiden's  tender  heart,  he  concealed  his  godhead,  and  changed  his  shape,  and 
became  a  bull.  .  .  . 

He  came  into  the  meadow,  and  his  coming  terrified  not  the  maidens,  nay, 
within  them  all  wakened  desire  to  draw  nigh  the  lovely  bull,  and  to  touch 
him,  and  his  heavenly  fragrance  was  scattered  afar,  exceeding  even  the  sweet 
perfume  of  the  meadows.  And  he  stood  before  the  feet  of  fair  Europa,  and 
kept  licking  her  neck,  and  cast  his  spell  over  the  maiden.  And  she  still 
caressed  him,  and  gently  with  her  hands  she  wiped  away  the  deep  foam  from 

his  lips,  and  kissed  the  bull.  Then  he  lowed 
so  gently,  ye  would  think  ye  heard  the  Myg- 
donian  flute  uttering  a  dulcet  sound. 

He  bowed  himself  before  her  feet,  and, 
bending  back  his  neck,  he  gazed  on  Europa, 
and  showed  her  his  broad  back.  Then 
she  spake  among  her  deep-tressed  maidens, 
saying,  — 

"Come,  dear  playmates,  maidens  of  like 
age  with  me,  let  us  mount  the  bull  here  and 
take  our  pastime,  for  truly,  he  will  bear  us 
on  liis  back,  and  carry  all  of  us!  And  how  mild  he  is,  and  dear,  and  gentle 
to  behold,  and  no  whit  like  other  bulls !  A  mind  as  honest  as  a  man's  pos- 
sesses him,  and  he  lacks  nothing  but  speech." 

So  she  spake,  and  smiling,  she  sat  down  on  the  back  of  the  bull,  and  the 
others  were  about  to  follow  her.     But  the  bull  leaped  up  immediately,  now  he 


MYTHS   OF  THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.    97 

had  gotten  her  that  he  desired,  and  swiftly  he  sped  to  the  deep.  The  maiden 
turned,  and  called  again  and  again  to  her  dear  playmates,  stretching  out  her 
hands,  but  they  could  not  reach  her.  The  strand  he  gained,  and  forward  he 
sped  like  a  dolphin,  faring  with  unwetted  hooves  over  the  wide  waves.  And 
the  sea,  as  he  came,  grew  smooth,  and  the  sea-monsters  gambolled  around, 
before  the  feet  of  Jupiter;  and  the  dolphin  rejoiced,  and  rising  from  the  deejw, 
he  tumbled  on  the  swell  of  the  sea.  The  Nereids  arose  out  of  the  salt  water, 
and  all  of  them  came  on  in  orderly  array,  riding  on  the  backs  of  sea-beasts. 
And  himself,  the  thunderous  shaker  of  the  world,  appeared  above  the  sea,  and 
made  smooth  the  wave,  and  guided  his  brother  on  the  salt  sea-path,  and  round 
him  were  gathered  the  Tritons,  these  hoarse  trumpeters  of  the  deep,  blowing 
from  their  long  conchs  a  bridal  melody. 

Meanwhile  Europa,  riding  on  the  back  of  the  divine  btill,  with  one  hand 
clasped  the  beast's  great  horn,  and  with  the  other  caught  up  the  purple  fold 
of  her  garment,  lest  it  might  trail  and  be  wet  in  the  hoar  sea's  infinite  spray. 
And  her  deep  robe  was  swelled  out  by  the  winds,  like  the  sail  of  a  ship,  and 
lightly  still  did  waft  the  maiden  onward.  But  when  she  was  now  far  off  from 
her  own  country,  and  neither  sea-beat  headland  nor  steep  hill  could  now  be 
seen,  but  above,  the  air,  and  beneath,  the  limitless  deep,  timidly  she  looked 
around,  and  uttered  her  voice,  saying,  — 

"Whither  bearest  thou  me,  bull-god?  What  art  thou?  How  dost  thou 
fare  on  thy  feet  through  the  path  of  the  sea- beasts,  nor  fearest  the  sea?  The 
sea  is  a  path  meet  for  swift  ships  that  traverse  the  brine,  but  bulls  dread  the 
salt  sea-ways.  What  drink  is  sweet  to  thee,  what  food  shalt  thou  find  from 
the  deep?  Nay,  art  thou  then  some  god,  for  god-like  are  these  deeds  of 
thine."  .  .  . 

So  spake  she,  and  the  horned  bull  made  answer  to  her  again :  "  Take 
courage,  maiden,  and  dread  not  the  swell  of  the  deep.  Behold,  I  am  Jupiter, 
even  I,  though,  closely  beheld,  I  wear  the  form  of  a  bull,  for  I  can  put  on  the 
semblance  of  what  thing  I  will.  But  'tis  love  of  thee  that  has  compelled  me 
to  measure  out  so  great  a  space  of  the  salt  sea,  in  a  bull's  shape.  So  Crete 
shall  presently  receive  thee,  Crete  that  was  mine  own  foster-mother,  where  thy 
bridal  chamber  shall  be."  ^ 

According  to  tradition,  from  this  princess  the  continent  of 
Europe  acquired  its  name.  Her  three  sons  are  famous  in  Greek 
myth :  Minos,  who  became  king  of  Crete,  and  after  his  death  a 
judge  in  the  lower  world  ;  Rhadamanthus,  who  was  also  regarded 

1  Translated  by  Andrew  Lang:  Theocritus,  Bion,  and  Moschus.  London, 
1880. 


98  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

as  king  and  judge  in  the  world  of  ghosts  ;  and  Sarpedon,  who  was 
ancestor  of  the  Lycians. 

The  adventures  of  Europa's  brother  Cadmus,  who  by  the  com- 
mand of  his  father  went  forth  in  quest  of  the  lost  maiden,  fall 
under  the  myths  of  Mars.^ 

§  62.  Semele  was  the  daughter  of  Cadmus,  founder  of  Thebes. 
She  was  descended,  through  both  parents,  from  the  gods ;  for 
her  mother  Harmonia  was  daughter  to  Mars  and  the  laughter- 
loving  Venus.  To  Semele  Jupiter  had  appeared,  and  had  paid 
court  in  unostentatious  manner  and  simple  guise.  But  Juno,  to 
gratify  her  resentment  against  this  new  rival  for  her  lord's  affec- 
tions, contrived  a  plan  for  her  destruction.  Assuming  the  form 
of  Reroe,  the  aged  nurse  of  Semele,  she  insinuated  doubts  whether 
it  was  indeed  Jove  himself  who  came  as  a  lover.  Heaving  a 
sigh,  she  said,  "  I  hope  it  will  turn  out  so,  but  I  can't  help  being 
afraid.  People  are  not  always  what  they  pretend  to  be.  If  he 
is  indeed  Jove,  make  him  give  some  proof  of  it.  Ask  him  to 
come  arrayed  in  all  his  splendors,  such  as  he  wears  in  Heaven. 
That  will  put  the  matter  beyond  a  doubt."  Semele  was  persuaded 
to  try  the  experiment.  She  asks  a  favor,  without  naming  what  it 
is.  Jove  gives  his  promise,  and  confirms  it  with  the  irrevocable 
oath,  attesting  the  river  Styx,  terrible  to  the  gods  themselves. 
Then  she  made  known  her  request.  The  god  would  have  stopped 
her  as  she  spake,  but  she  was  too  quick  for  him.  The  words 
escaped,  and  he  could  neither  unsay  his  promise  nor  her  request. 
In  deep  distress  he  left  her,  and  returned  to  the  upper  regions. 
There  he  clothed  himself  in  his  splendors,  not  putting  on  all  his 
terrors,  as  when  he  overthrew  the  giants,  but  what  is  known  among 
the  gods  as  his  lesser  panoply.  With  thunders  and  lightnings 
he  entered  the  chamber  of  Semele.  Her  mortal  frame  could  not 
endure  the  splendors  of  the  immortal  radiance.  She  was  con- 
sumed to  ashes.^  Her  son  was  the  god  Bacchus.'  Semele,  in  the 
blissful  seats  of  Heaven,  whither  she  was  transported  by  the  sor- 

1  $  70.  2  Ovid,  Melam.  3 :  260  et  seq.  3  ^^^  ^g^  102-104. 


MVri/S    OF    THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.     W 

rowful  Jove,  has  been  represented  as  recounting  thus  the  story  of 
her  doom  :  — 

"What  were  the  garden-bowers  of  Thebes  to  me? 
What  cared  I  for  their  dances  and  their  feasts, 
Whose  heart  awaited  an  immortal  doom? 
The  Greek  youths  mocked  me,  since  I  shunned  in  scorn 
Them  and  their  praises  of  my  brows  and  hair. 
The  light  girls  pointed  after  me,  who  turned 
Soul-sick  from  their  unending  fooleries.  ... 

"There  came  a  change:   a  glory  fell  to  me. 
No  more  'twas  Semele,  the  lonely  girl, 
But  Jupiter's  Beloved,  Semele. 
With  human  arms  the  god  came  clasping  me : 
New  life  streamed  from  his  presence;    and  a  voice, 
That  scarce  could  curb  itself  to  the  smooth  Greek, 
Now  and  anon  swept  forth  in  those  deep  nights. 
Thrilling  my  flesh  with  awe;    mysterious  words  — 
I  knew  not  what;    hints  of  unearthly  things 
That  I  had  felt  on  solemn  summer  noons. 
When  sleeping  Earth  dreamed  music,  and  the  heart 
Went  crooning  a  low  song  it  could  not  learn, 
But  wandered  over  it,  as  one  who  gropes  ' 

I'"or  a  forgotten  chord  upon  a  lyre. 

"  Vea,  Jupiter !    But  why  this  mortal  guise, 
Wooing  as  if  he  were  a  milk-faced  boy? 
Did  I  lack  lovers?     Was  my  beauty  dulled. 
The  golden  hair  turned  dross,  the  lithe  limbs  shrunk? 
The  deathless  longings  tamed,  that  I  should  seethe 
My  soul  in  love  like  any  shepherd  girl? 

One  night  he  sware  to  grant  whate'er  I  asked : 
And  straight  I  cried,  'To  know  thee  as  thou  art! 
To  hold  thee  on  my  heart  as  Juno  does ! 
Come  in  thy  thunder  —  kill  me  with  one  fierce 
Divine  embrace! — Thine  oath! — Now,  Earth,  at  last!' 

"The  Heavens  shot  one  swift  sheet  of  lurid  flame; 
The  world  crashed :   from  a  body  scathed  and  torn 
The  soul  leapt  through,  and  found  his  breast,  and  died. 
'Died?' — So  the  The!)an  maidens  think,  anti  laugh, 


100  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Saying,  '  She  had  her  wish,  that  Semele  ! ' 

But  sitting  here  upon  Olympus'  height, 

I  look  down,  through  that  oval  ring  of  stars, 

And  see  the  far-oflf  Earth,  a  twinkling  speck  — 

Dust-mote  whirled  up  from  the  Sun's  chariot  wheel  — 

And  pity  their  small  hearts  that  hold  a  man 

As  if  he  were  a  god;    or  know  the  god  — 

Or  dare  to  know  him  —  only  as  a  man ! 

O  human  love!   art  thou  forever  blind?"* 

§  63.  ^gina.  —  The  extent  to  which  those  wh&were  concerned 
only  indirectly  in  Jupiter's  love  affairs  might  yet  be  involved  in 
the  consequences  of  them,  is  illustrated  by  the  fortunes  of  .'Egina. 
This  maiden,  the  daughter  of  Asopus,  a  river-god,  attracted  the 
attention  of  Jupiter,  who  straightway  ran  off  with  her.  Now,  on 
the  one  hand,  Sisyphus,  king  of  Corinth,  having  witnessed  the 
intrigue,  was  indiscreet  enough  to  disclose  it.  Forthwith  the  ven- 
geance of  the  king  of  gods  and  men  fell  upon  him.  He  was  con- 
demned to  Hades,  and  attempting  to  escape  thence,  had  resort 
to  a  series  of  deceptions  that  resulted  in  his  eternal  punishment.- 
On  the  other  hand,  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  that  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  bear  ^gina's  name  incurred  the  displeasure  of  Juno,  who 
devastated  their  land  with  a  plague.  The  following  account  of  this 
calamity  is  placed  in  the  mouth  of  .^acus,  king  of  the  island  :  ^  — 

"At  the  beginning  the  sky  seemed  to  settle  down  upon  the 
earth,  and  thick  clouds  shut  in  the  heated  air.  For  four  months 
together  a  deadly  south  wind  prevailed.  The  disorder  affected 
the  wells  and  springs.  Thousands  of  snakes  crept  over  the  land, 
and  shed  their  poison  in  the  fountains.  The  force  of  the  disease 
was  first  spent  on  the  lower  animals,  —  dogs,  cattle,  sheep,  and 
birds.  The  oxen  fell  in  the  midst  of  their  work.  The  wool 
dropped  from  the  bleating  sheep.  The  horse  groaned  at  his  stall, 
and  died  an  inglorious  death.  Everything  languished  ;  dead  bodies 
lay  in  the  roads,  the  fields,  and  the  woods  ;  the  air  was  poisoned 
by  them.    Next  the  disease  attacked  the  country  people,  and  then 

1  From  E.  R.  Sill's  Semele.  '■^  Commentary,  \  107;  \  175. 

8  Ovid,  Metam.  7: 172  et  seq. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.     101 

the  dwellers  in  the  city.  At  first  the  cheek  was  flushed,  and  the 
breath  drawn  with  difficulty.  The  tongue  grew  rough  and  swelled, 
and  the  dry  mouth  stood  open,  with  its  veins  enlarged,  and  gasped 
for  the  air.  Men  could  not  bear  the  heat  of  their  clothes  or  their 
beds,  but  preferred  to  lie  on  the  bare  ground.  Nor  could  the 
physicians  help,  for  the  disease  attacked  them  also.  At  last  men 
learned  to  look  upon  death  as  the  only  deliverer  from  disease. 
All  restraint  laid  aside,  they  crowded  round  the  wells  and  foun- 
tains, and  drank,  without  quenching  thirst,  till  they  died.  On  all 
sides  lay  my  people  strewn  like  over-ripened  apples  beneath  the 
tree,  or  acorns  under  the  storm-shaken  oak.  You  see  yonder  a 
temple  on  the  height.  It  is  sacred  to  Jupiter.  Often,  while  the 
priest  made  ready  for  sacrifice,  the  victim  fell,  struck  down  by 
disease  without  waiting  for  the  blow.  At  length  all  reverence  for 
sacred  things  was  lost.  Bodies  were  thrown  out  unburied,  wood 
was  wanting  for  funeral  piles,  men  fought  with  one  another  for  the 
possession  of  them.  Finally  there  were  none  left  to  mourn  ;  sons 
and  husbands,  old  men  and  youths,  perished  alike  unlamented. 

"  Standing  before  the  altar,  I  raised  my  eyes  to  Heaven.  *  O 
Jupiter,'  I  said,  '  if  thou  art  indeed  my  father,  give  me  back  my 
people,  or  take  me  also  away  ! '  At  these  words  a  clap  of  thunder 
was  heard.  '  I  accept  the  omen,'  I  cried.  By  chance  there  grew 
by  the  place  where  I  stood  an  oak  with  widespreading  branches, 
sacred  to  Jupiter.  I  observed  on  it  a  troop  of  ants  busy  with  their 
labor.  Observing  their  numbers  with  admiration,  I  said,  'Give 
me,  oh,  father,  citizens  as  numerous  as  these,  and  replenish  my 
empty  city.'  The  tree  shook,  and  the  branches  rustled,  though 
no  wind  agitated  them.  Night  came  on.  The  tree  stood  before 
me  in  my  dreams,  with  its  numerous  branches  all  cpvered  with 
living,  moving  creatures,  which,  falling  to  the  ground,  appeared  to 
gain  in  size,  and  by-and-by  to  stand  erect,  and  finally  to  assume 
the  human  form.  Then  I  awoke.  My  attention  was  caught  by 
the  sound  of  many  voices  without.  While  I  began  to  think  I  was 
yet  dreaming,  Telamon,  my  son,  throwing  open  the  temple-gates, 
exclaimed,  '  Father,  approach,  and  behold  things  surpassing  even 


102  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

your  hopes  ! '  I  went  forth  ;  I  saw  a  multitude  of  men,  such  as  I 
had  seen  in  my  dream.  While  I  gazed  with  wonder  and  delight, 
they  approached,  and  kneeling  hailed  me  as  their  king.  I  paid 
my  vows  to  Jove,  and  proceeded  to  allot  the  vacant  city  to  the 
new-born  race.  I  called  them  Myrmidons  from  the  ant  (jnyt-mex), 
from  which  they  sprang.  They  are  a  diligent  and  industrious  race, 
eager  to  gain,  and  tenacious  of  their  gains." 

The  Myrmidons  were  the  soldiers  of  Achilles,  the  grandson  of 
King  ^acus,  in  the  Trojan  War. 

§  64.  Antiope  was,  according  to  the  Odyssey,  another  daughter 
of  Asopus,  therefore  a  sister  of  yEgina.  But  later  poets  make 
this  darling  of  Jove  daughter  of  Nycteus,  king  of  Thebes.  While 
she  was  engaged  in  the  Maenad  dances,  Jupiter  as  a  satyr,  wooed 
and  won  her.  She  bore  him  two  sons,  Amphion  and  Zethus,  who, 
being  exposed  at  birth  on  Mount  Cithaeron,  grew  up  among  the 
shepherds,  not  knowing  their  parentage.  After  various  adventures 
Antiope  fell  into  the  hands  of  her  uncle  Lycus,  the  usurping  king 
of  Thebes,  who,  egged  on  by  his  wife  Dirce,  treated  her  with 
extreme  cruelty.  Finally,  when  doomed  by  Dirce  to  be  dragged 
to  death  behind  a  bull,  Antiope  found  means  to  inform  her  chil- 
dren of  her  kinship  to  them.  As  it  happened,  they  had  been 
ordered  to  execute  the  cruel  sentence  upon  their  mother.  But 
with  a  band  of  their  fellow-herdsmen,  they  attacked  and  slew 
Lycus  instead,  and,  tying  Dirce  by  the  hair  of  her  head  to  a  bull, 
let  her  perish  by  her  own  device.' 

While  among  the  herdsmen,  Amphion  had  been  the  special  care 
of  Mercury,  who  gave  him  a  lyre  and  taught  him  to  play  upon  it. 
His  brother  Zethus  had  occupied  himself  in  hunting  and  tending 
the  flocks.  Amphion,  himself,  is  one  of  the  most  famous  of  mythi- 
cal musicians.  Having  become  king  of  Thebes,  it  is  said  that 
when  he  played  on  his  lyre,  stones  moved  of  their  own  accord, 
and  took  their  places  in  the  wall,  with  which  he  was  fortifying  the 
city. 

1  Roscher,  Lfg.  3:  379  (Schirmer).  Originals  in  Pausanias,  Apollodorus  and 
Hyginus. 


MYTHS  OF   THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.     103 


Tis  said  he  had  a  tuneful  tongue, 

Such  happy  intonation, 
Wherever  he  sat  down  and  sung 

He  left  a  small  plantation; 
Wherever  in  a  lonely  grove 

He  set  up  his  forlorn  pipes, 
The  gouty  oak  began  to  move. 

And  flounder  into  hornpipes. 


The  mountain  stirred  its  bushy  crown, 
And,  as  tradition  teaches. 


104  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Young  ashes  pirouetted  down 

Coquetting  with  young  beeches; 
And  briony-vine  and  ivy  wreath 

Ran  forward  to  his  rhyming, 
And  from  the  valleys  underneath 

Came  little  copses  climbing. 

The  linden  broke  her  ranks  and  rent 

The  woodbine  wreaths  that  bind  her, 
And  down  the  middle  buzz !   she  went 

With  all  her  bees  behind  her: 
The  poplars,  in  long  order  due, 

With  cypress  promenaded, 
The  shock-head  willows,  two  and  two. 

By  rivers  gallopaded. 

Came  wet-shot  alder  from  the  wave. 

Came  yews,  a  dismal  coterie; 
Each  plucked  his  one  foot  from  the  grave, 

Poussetting  with  a  sloe-tree : 
Old  elms  came  breaking  from  the  vine, 

The  vine  streamed  out  to  follow. 
And,  sweating  rosin,  plumped  the  pine 

From  many  a  cloudy  hollow. 

And  wasn't  it  a  sight  to  see, 

When,  ere  his  song  was  ended. 
Like  some  great  landslip,  tree  by  tree, 

The  country-side  descended; 
And  shepherds  from  the  mountain-eaves 

Looked  down,  half-pleased,  half-frightened. 
As  dashed  about  the  drunken  leaves 

The  random  sunshine  lightened.^ 

The  musician's  life  was,  however,  not  all  harmony  and  hapjM- 
ness.  Owing  to  the  pride  of  his  wife,  Niobe,  daughter  of  King 
Tantalus,  there  befell  him  and  his  house  a  crushing  calamity,  which 
is  narrated  among  the  exploits  of  Apollo  and  Diana.^ 

1  From  Tennyson's  Ampliion.     See  Horace,  Ars  Poet.,  394. 

2  See  ^V  77. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      105 

§  65.  The  kindly  interest  evinced  by  the  Thunderer  toward 
mortals  is  displayed  in  the  story  of 

Baucis  and  Philemon.  —  Once  on  a  time,  Jupiter,  in  human 
shape,  visited  the  land  of  Phrygia,  and  with  him  Mercury,  without 
his  wings.  They  presented  themselves  as  weary  travellers  at  many 
a  door,  seeking  rest  and  shelter,  but  found  all  closed  ;  for  it  was 
late,  and  the  inhospitable  inhabitants  would  not  rouse  themselves 
to  open  for  their  reception.  At  last  a  small  thatched  cottage 
received  them,  where  Baucis,  a  pious  old  dame,  and  her  husband 
Philemon  had  grown  old  together.  Not  ashamed  of  their  poverty, 
they  made  it  endurable  by  moderate  desires  and  kind  dispositions. 
When  the  two  guests  crossed  the  humble  threshold,  and  bowed 
their  heads  to  pass  under  the  low  door,  the  old  man  placed  a  seat, 
on  which  Baucis,  bustling  and  attentive,  spread  a  cloth,  and  begged 
them  to  sit  do\vn.  Then  she  raked  out  the  coals  from  the  ashes, 
kindled  a  fire,  and  prepared  some  pot-herbs  and  bacon  for  them. 
A  beechen  bowl  was  filled  with  warm  water,  that  their  guests  might 
wash.  ^Vhile  all  was  doing,  they  beguiled  the  time  with  conver- 
sation. 

The  old  woman  with  trembling  hand  set  the  table.  One  leg  was 
shorter  than  the  rest,  but  a  piece  of  slate  put  under  restored  the 
level.  When  it  was  steady,  she  rubbed  the  table  down  with  sweet- 
smelling  herbs.  Upon  it  she  set  some  of  chaste  Minerva's  olives, 
some  cornel  berries  preserved  in  vinegar,  and  added  radishes  and 
cheese,  with  eggs  lightly  cooked  in  the  ashes.  The  meal  was  served 
in  earthen  dishes  ;  and  an  earthen-ware  pitcher,  with  wooden  cups, 
stood  beside  them.  When  all  was  ready,  the  stew,  smoking  hot, 
was  set  on  the  table.  Some  wine,  not  of  the  oldest,  was  added ; 
and  for  dessert,  apples  and  wild  honey. 

Now  while  the  repast  proceeded,  the  old  folks  were  astonished 
to  see  that  the  wine,  as  fast  as  it  was  poured  out,  renewed  itself  in 
the  pitcher,  of  its  own  accord.  Struck  with  terror,  Baucis  and 
Philemon  recognized  their  heavenly  guests,  fell  on  their  knees, 
and  with  clasped  hands  implored  forgiveness  for  their  poor  enter- 
tainment.   There  was  an  old  goose,  which  they  kept  as  the  guar- 


106  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

dian  of  their  humble  cottage,  and  they  bethought  them  to  make 
this  a  sacrifice  in  honor  of  their  guests.  But  the  goose,  too  nimble 
for  the  old  folks,  with  the  aid  of  feet  and  wings  eluded  their  pur- 
suit, and  at  last  took  shelter  between  the  gods  themselves.  They 
forbade  it  to  be  slain,  and  spoke  in  these  words  :  "  We  are  gods. 
This  inhospitable  village  shall  pay  the  penalty  of  its  impiety ;  you 
alone  shall  go  free  from  the  chastisement.  Quit  your  house,  and 
come  with  us  to  the  top  of  yonder  hill."  They  hastened  to  obey. 
The  country  behind  them  was  speedily  sunk  in  a  lake,  only  their 
own  house  left  standing.  While  they  gazed  with  wonder  at  the 
sight,  that  old  house  of  theirs  was  changed.  Columns  took  the 
place  of  the  corner  posts,  the  thatch  grew  yellow  and  appeared  a 
gilded  roof,  the  floors  became  marble,  the  doors  were  enriched 
with  carving  and  ornaments  of  gold.  Then  spoke  Jupiter  in  benig- 
nant accents  :  "  Excellent  old  man,  and  woman  worthy  of  such  a 
husband,  speak,  tell  us  your  wishes.  What  favor  have  you  to  ask 
of  us?"  Philemon  took  counsel  with  Baucis  a  few  moments,  then 
declared  to  the  gods  their  common  wish.  "  We  ask  to  be  priests 
and  guardians  of  this  thy  temple,  and  that  one  and  the  same 
hour  may  take  us  both  from  life."  Their  prayer  was  granted. 
When  they  had  attained  a  great  age,  as  they  stood  one  day  before 
the  steps  of  the  sacred  edifice,  and  were  telling  the  story  of  the 
place,  Baucis  saw  Philemon  begin  to  put  forth  leaves,  and  Philemon 
saw  Baucis  changing  in  like  manner.  While  still  they  exchanged 
parting  words,  a  leafy  crown  grew  over  their  heads.  "  Farewell, 
dear  spouse,"  they  said  together,  and  at  the  same  moment  the 
bark  closed  over  their  mouths.  The  Tyanean  shepherd  still  shows 
the  two  trees,  —  an  oak  and  a  linden,  standing  side  by  side.' 

The  story  of  Baucis  and  Philemon  has  been  imitated  by  Swift, 
in  a  burlesque  style,  the  actors  in  the  change  being  two  wandering 
saints,  and  the  house  being  changed  into  a  church,  of  which 
Philemon  is  made  the  parson  :  — 

.  .  .  They  scarce  had  spoke,  when,  fair  and  soft. 
The  roof  began  to  mount  aloft; 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  8  :  620-724. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      107 

Aloft  rose  every  beam  and  rafter; 

The  heav)i  wall  climbed  slowly  after. 

The  chimney  widened  and  grew  higher, 

Became  a  steeple  with  a  spire. 

The  kettle  to  the  top  was  hoist, 

And  there  stood  fastened  to  a  joist, 

But  with  the  upside  down,  to  show 

Its  inclination  for  below; 

In  vain,  for  a  superior  force. 

Applied  at  bottom,  stops  its  course; 

Doomed  ever  in  suspense  to  dwell, 

'Tis  now  no  kettle,  but  a  bell. 

A  wooden  jack,  which  had  almost 

Lost  by  disuse  the  art  to  roast, 

A  sudden  alteration  feels, 

Increased  by  new  intestine  wheels; 

And,  what  exalts  the  wonder  more. 

The  number  made  the  motion  slower; 

The  flier,  though't  had  leaden  feet, 

Turned  round  so  quick  you  scarce  could  see't; 

But  slackened  by  some  secret  power. 

Now  hardly  moves  an  inch  an  hour. 

The  jack  and  chimney,  near  allied. 

Had  never  left  each  other's  side. 

The  chimney  to  a  steeple  grown. 

The  jack  would  not  be  left  alone; 

But  up  against  the  steeple  reared. 

Became  a  clock,  and  still  adhered; 

And  still  its  love  to  household  cares 

By  a  shrill  voice  at  noon  declares. 

Warning  the  cook-maid  not  to  burn 

That  roast  meat  which  it  cannot  turn. 

The  groaning  chair  began  to  crawl. 

Like  a  huge  snail,  along  the  wall; 

There  stuck  aloft  in  public  view, 

And  with  small  change,  a  pulpit  grew. 

A  bedstead  of  the  antique  mode, 

Compact  of  timber  many  a  load. 

Such  as  our  ancestors  did  use, 

Was  metamorphosed  into  pews. 

Which  still  their  ancient  nature  keep 

By  lodging  folks  disposed  to  sleep. 


108  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  66.  Juno's  Best  Gift. — What  the  queen  of  heaven  deemed 
the  greatest  blessing  reserved  for  mortals  is  narrated  in  the  beauti- 
ful myth  of  Biton  and  Cleobis.  One  Cydippe,  an  ancient  priestess 
of  the  white-armed  goddess,  had  desired  to  behold  the  famous 
new  statue  of  Hera  at  Argos.  Her  sons  testified  their  affection 
for  their  mother,  by  yoking  themselves,  since  no  oxen  were  at 
hand,  to  her  chariot,  and  so  dragging  her  through  heat  and  dust 
many  a  weary  league  till  they  reached  the  temple,  where  stood  the 
gold  and  ivory  master-work  of  Polyclitus.  With  admiration  the 
devoted  priestess  and  her  pious  sons  were  received  by  the  popu- 
lace crowding  round  the  statue.  The  priest  officiating  in  the 
solemn  rites  thought  meet  that  so  reverend  a  worshipper  should 
herself  approach  the  goddess,  —  ay,  should  ask  of  Hera  some 
blessing  on  her  faithful  sons  :  — 

,  .  .  Slowly  old  Cydippe  rose  and  cried: 

'  Hera,  whose  priestess  I  have  been  and  am, 
Virgin  and  matron,  at  whose  angry  eyes 
Zeus  trembles,  and  the  windless  plain  of  heaven 
With  hyperborean  echoes  rings  and  roars, 
Remembering  thy  dread  nuptials,  a  wise  god, 
Golden  and  white  in  thy  new-carven  shape, 
Hear  me !   and  grant  for  these  my  pious  sons, 
Who  saw  my  tears,  and  wound  their  tender  arms 
Around  me,  and  kissed  me  calm,  and  since  no  steer 
Stayed  in  the  liyre,  dragged  out  the  chariot  old. 
And  wore  themselves  the  galling  yoke,  and  brought 
Their  mother  to  the  feast  of  her  desire. 
Grant  them,  O  Hera,  thy  best  gift  of  gifts ! ' 

Whereat  the  statue  from  its  jewelled  eyes 
0  Lightened,  and  thunder  ran  from  cloud  to  cloud 

In  Heaven,  and  the  vast  company  was  hushed. 
But  when  they  sought  for  Cleobis,  behold. 
He  lay  there  still,  and  by  his  brother's  side 
Lay  Biton,  smiling  through  ambrosial  curls, 
Antl  when  the  people  touched  them  they  were  dead.^ 

1  From  the  Sons  of  Cydippe,  Ly  Edmund  Gossc :  On  Viol  and  Flute. 


MVTIJS  OF  TJIE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      109 

2.    Myths  ov  Minerva. 

§  67.  The  Contest  with  Neptune.  — Minerva,  as  we  have  seen,^ 
presided  over  the  useful  and  ornamental  arts,  both  those  of  men 
— such  as  agriculture  and  navigation  —  and  those  of  women — • 
spinning,  weaving,  and  needle-work.  She  was  also  a  warlike 
tlivinity,  but  favored  only  defensive  warfare.  With  Mars'  savage 
love  of  violence  and  bloodshed  she,  therefore,  had  no  sympathy. 
Athens,  her  chosen  seat,  her  own  city,  was  awarded  to  her  as  the 
prize  of  a  peaceful  contest  with  Neptune,  who  also  aspired  to  it. 


In  the  reign  of  Cecrops,  the  first  king  of  Athens,  the  two  deities 
had  contended  for  the  possession  of  the  city.  The  gods  decreed 
that  it  should  be  awarded  to  the  one  who  produced  the  gift  most 
useful  to  mortals.  Neptune  gave  the  horse ;  Minerva  produced 
the  olive.  The  gods  awarded  the  city  to  the  goddess,  and  after 
her  Greek  appellation  it  was  named. 

Arachne.  —  In  another  contest,  a  mortal  dared  to  come  into 
competition  with  the  gray-eyed  daughter  of  Jove.  This  was 
Arachne,  a  maiden  who  had  attained  such  skill  in  the  arts  of  card- 
ing and  spinning,  of  weaving  and  embroidery,  that  the  Nymphs 
themselves  would  leave  their  groves  and  fountains  to  come  and 

1  W  35  and  Commentary. 


110  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

gaze  upon  her  work.  It  was  not  only  beautiful  when  it  was  done, 
but  beautiful  also  in  the  doing.  To  watch  her  one  would  have 
said  that  Minerva  herself  had  taught  her.  But  this  she  denied,  and 
could  not  bear  to  be  thought  a  pupil  even  of  a  goddess.  "  Let 
Minerva  try  her  skill  with  mine,"  said  she.  "  If  beaten,  I  will  pay 
the  penalty."  Minerva  heard  this,  and  was  displeased.  Assuming 
the  form  of  an  old  woman,  she  appeared  to  Arachne,  and  kindly 
advised  her  to  challenge  her  fellow-mortals  if  she  would,  but  at 
once  to  ask  forgiveness  of  the  goddess.  Arachne  bade  the  old 
dame  to  keep  her  counsel  for  others.  "  I  am  not  afraid  of  the 
goddess ;  let  her  try  her  skill,  if  she  dare  venture."  "  She  comes," 
said  Minerva,  and  dropping  her  disguise,  stood  confessed.  The 
Nymphs  bent  low  in  homage,  and  all  the  bystanders  paid  rever- 
ence, Arachne  alone  was  unterrified.  A  sudden  color  dyed  her 
cheek,  and  then  she  grew  pale ;  but  she  stood  to  her  resolve,  and 
rushed  on  her  fate.  They  proceed  to  the  contest.  Each  takes 
her  station,  and  attaches  the  web  to  the  beam.  Then  the  slender 
shuttle  is  passed  in  and  out  among  the  threads.  The  reed  with 
its  fine  teeth  strikes  up  the  woof  into  its  place,  and  compacts  the 
web.  Wool  of  Tyrian  dye  is  contrasted  with  that  of  other  colors, 
shaded  off  into  one  another  so  adroitly  that  the  joining  deceives 
the  eye.  And  the  effect  is  like  the  bow  whose  long  arch  tinges 
the  heavens,  formed  by  sunbeams  reflected  from  the  shower,^  in 
which,  where  the  colors  meet  they  seem  as  one,  but  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  point  of  contact  are  wholly  different. 

Minerva  wrought  on  her  web  the  scene  of  her  contest  with 
Neptune.  Twelve  of  the  heavenly  powers  were  represented,  Jupi- 
ter, with  august  gravity,  sitting  in  the  midst.  Neptune,  the  ruler 
of  the  sea,  held  his  trident,  and  appeared  to  have  just  smitten  the 
Earth,  from  which  a  horse  had  leaped  forth.  The  bright-eyed 
goddess  depicted  herself  with  helmed  head,  her  a^gis  covering 
her  breast,  as  when  she  had  created  the  olive-tree,  with  its  berries 
and  its  dark  green  leaves. 

1  From  Ovid. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIV/XIT/ES  OF  HEAVEN.     Ill 

Amongst  these  leaves  she  made  a  Butterfly, 
With  excellent  device  and  wondrous  slight, 

Huttering  among  the  olives  wantonly, 
That  seemed  to  live,  so  like  it  was  in  sight; 

The  velvet  nap  which  on  his  wings  doth  lie, 
The  silken  down  with  which  his  back  is  dight, 

His  broad  outstretched  horns,  his  hairy  thighs. 

His  glorious  colors,  and  his  glistening  eyes. 

Which  when  Arachne  saw,  as  overlaid 
And  mastered  with  workmanship  so  rare. 

She  stood  astonished  long,  ne  aught  gainsaid; 
And  with  fast-fixed  eyes  on  her  did  stare.' 

So  wonderful  was  the  central  circle  of  Minerva's  web ;  and  in 
the  four  corners  were  represented  incidents  illustrating  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  gods  at  such  presumptuous  mortals  as  had  dared  to 
contend  with  them.  These  were  meant  as  warnings  from  Minerva 
to  her  rival  to  give  up  the  contest  before  it  was  too  late. 

But  Arachne  did  not  yield.  She  filled  her  web  with  subjects 
designedly  chosen  to  exhibit  the  failings  and  errors  of  the  gods. 
One  scene  represented  Leda  caressing  the  swan ;  and  another, 
Danaii  and  the  golden  shower.  Still  another  depicted  Europa 
deceived  by  Jupiter  under  the  disguise  of  a  bull.  Its  appearance 
was  that  of  a  real  bull,  so  naturally  was  it  wrought,  and  so  natural 
the  water  in  which  it  swam. 

With  such  subjects  Arachne  filled  her  canvas,  wonderfiilly  well 
done,  but  strongly  marking  her  presumption  and  impiety.  Minerva 
could  not  forbear  to  admire,  yet  was  indignant  at  the  insult.  She 
struck  the  web  with  her  shuttle,  and  rent  it  in  pieces ;  then,  touch- 
ing the  forehead  of  Arachne,  she  made  her  realize  her  guilt.  It 
was  more  than  mortal  could  bear ;  and  forthwith  Arachne  hanged 
herself  "Live,  guilty  woman,"  said  Minerva,  "but  that  thou 
mayest  preserve  the  memory  of  this  lesson  continue  to  hang,  both 
thou  and  thy  descendants,  to  all  future  times."  Then,  sprinkling 
her  with  the  juices  of  aconite,  the  goddess  transformed  her  into  a 
spider,  forever  spinning  the  thread  by  which  she  is  suspended.* 

1  From  Spenser's  Muiopotmos.  2  Ovid,  Metam.  6 :  1-145. 


112 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


3.  Myths  of  Mars. 

§  68.  The  relations  of  Mars  to  other  deities  may  be  best  illus- 
trated by  passages  from  the  Iliad,  which,  generally  speaking,  pre- 
sents him  in  no  very  favorable  light. 

Mars  and  Diomede.  —  In  the  war  of  the  Greeks  and  the  Trojans,' 

the  cause  of  the  former  was  espoused  by  Minerva,  of  the  latter 

A  by    Mars.      Among    the    chieftains    of    the 

^  Greeks  in  a  certain    battle,   Diomede,   son 

of    Tydeus,    was    prominent.      Now  when 

Mars,    scourge    of    mortals,    beheld    noble 

Diomede,  he  made  straight  at  him. 

.  .  .  And  when  they  were  come  nigh  in  onset  on  one 
another,  first  Mars  thrust  over  the  yoke  and  horses' 
reins  with  spear  of  bronze,  eager  to  take  away  his 
life.  But  the  bright-eyed  goddess  Minerva  with  her 
hand  seized  the  spear,  and  thrust  it  up  over  the  car, 
to  spend  itself  in  vain.  Next  Diomede  of  the  loud 
war-cry  attacked  with  spear  of  bronze;  and  Minerva 
drave  it  home  against  Mars'  nethermost  belly,  where 
his  taslets  were  girt  about  him.  There  smote  he  him 
and  wounded  him,  rending  through  his  fair  skin,  — 
and  plucked  forth  the  spear  again.  Then  brazen 
Mars  bellowed  loud  as  nine  thousand  warriors  or 
ten  thousand  cry  in  battle  as  they  join  in  strife  and 
fray.  Thereat  trembling  gat  hold  of  Achocans  and 
Trojans  for  fear,  so  mightily  bellowed  Mars  insatiate 
of  battle. 

Even  as  gloomy  mist  appeareth  from  the  clouds  when  after  heat  a  stormy 
wind  ariseth,  even  so  to  Tydeus'  son  Diomede  brazen  Mars  apj^eared  amid 
clouds,  faring  to  wide  Heaven.  Swiftly  came  he  to  the  gods'  dwelling,  steep 
Olympus,  and  sat  beside  Jupiter,  son  of  Cronus,  with  grief  at  heart,  and 
showed  the  immortal  blood  flowing  from  the  wound,  and  piteously  spake  to 
him  winged  words :  "  Father  Jupiter,  hast  thou  no  indignation  to  behold  these 
violent  deeds?  For  ever  cruelly  suffer  we  gods  by  one  another's  devices,  in 
stowing  men  grace.  With  thee  arc  we  all  at  variance,  because  thou  didst 
beget  that  reckless  maiden  and  bnlcful,  whose  thought  is  ever  ui  iniquitous 

1  J^^  167-170. 


Myths  of  the  great  divlv/ties  of  heaven.    wS 

deeds.  For  all  the  other  gods  that  are  in  Olympus  hearken  to  thee,  and  we 
are  subject  every  one;  only  her  thou  chastenest  not,  neither  in  deed  nor 
word,  but  settest  her  on,  because  this  pestilent  one  is  thine  own  offspring. 
Now  hath  she  urged  on  Tydeus'  son,  even  overweening  Diomede,  to  rage 
furiously  against  the  immortal  gods.  The  Cyprian  first  he  wounded  in  close 
fight,  in  the  wrist  of  her  hand,  and  then  assailed  he  me,  even  me,  with  the 
might  of  a  god.  Howbeit  my  swift  feet  bare  me  away;  else  had  I  long 
endured  anguish  there  amid  the  grisly  heaps  of  dead,  or  else  had  lived 
strengthless  from  the  smitings  of  the  spear." 

Then  Jupiter  the  cloud-gatherer  looked  sternly  at  him,  and  said :  "  Nay, 
thou  renegade,  sit  not  by  me  and  whine.  Most  hateful  to  me  art  thou  of  all 
gods  that  dwell  in  Olympus;  thou  ever  lovest  strife  and  wars  and  battles. 
Truly  thy  mother's  spirit  is  intolerable,  unyielding,  even  Juno's;  her  can  I 
scarce  rule  with  words.  Therefore  I  deem  that  by  her  prompting  thou  art  in 
this  plight.  Yet  will  I  no  longer  endure  to  see  thee  in  anguish ;  mine  offspring 
art  thou,  and  to  me  thy  mother  bare  thee.  But  wert  thou  born  of  any  other 
god  unto  this  violence,  long  ere  this  hadst  thou  been  lower  than  the  sons  of 
Heaven." 

So  spake  he  and  bade  Paean  heal  him.  And  Poean  laid  assuaging  drugs 
upon  the  wound,  and  healed  him,  seeing  he  was  in  no  wise  of  mortal  mould. 
Even  as  fig  juice  maketh  haste  to  thicken  white  milk,  that  is  liquid  but 
curdleth  speedily  as  a  man  stirreth,  even  so  swiftly  healed  he  impetuous  Mars. 
And  Hebe  bathed  him,  and  clothed  him  in  gracious  raiment,  and  he  sate 
down  by  Jupiter,  son  of  Cronus,  glgjr)nng  in  his  might. 

Then  fared  the  twain  back  to  the  mansion  of  great  Jupiter,  even  Juno  and 
Minerva,  having  stayed  Mars,  scourge  of  mortals,  from  his  man-slaying.* 

§  69.  Mars  and  Minerva.  —  It  would  seem  that  the  insatiate 
son  of  Juno  should  have  learned  by  this  sad  experience  to  avoid 
measuring  arms  with  the  aegis-bearing  Minerva.  But  he  renewed 
the  contest  at  a  later  period  in  the  fortunes  of  the  Trojan  War  :  — 

.  .  .  Jupiter  knew  what  was  coming  as  he  sat  upon  Olympus,  and  his  heart 
within  him  laughed  pleasantly  when  he  beheld  that  strife  of  gods.  Then  no 
longer  stood  they  asunder,  for  Mars,  piercer  of  shields,  began  the  battle  and 
first  made  for  Minerva  with  his  bronze  spear,  and  spake  a  taunting  word : 
"  Wherefore,  O  dogfly,  dost  thou  match  gods  with  gods  in  strife,  with  stormy 
daring,  as  thy  great  spirit  moveth  thee?     Rememberest  thou  not  how  thou 

1  Iliad  5 :  850,  etc.  Translation,  I^ng,  Leaf,  and  Myers.  In  accordance  with 
the  system  of  nomenclature  adopted  in  this  Work,  I^tin  equivalents  are  given, 
wherever  possible,  for  Greek  names. 


114 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


movedst  Diomede,  Tydeus'  son,  to  wound  me,  and  thyself  didst  take  a  visible 
spear  and  thrust  it  straight  at  me  and  pierce  through  my  fair  skin?  There- 
fore deem  I  now  that  thou  shalt  pay  me  for  all  that  thou  hast  done." 

Thus  saying,  he  smote  on  the  dread  tasselled  a;gis  that  not  even  the 
lightning  of  Jupiter  can  overcome  —  thereon  smote  blood-stained  Mars  with 
his  long  spear.  But  she,  giving  back,  grasped  with  stout  hand  a  stone  that 
lay  upon  the  plain,  black,  rugged,  huge,  which  men  of  old  time  set  to  be  the 
landmark  of  a  field;  this  hurled  she,  and  smote  impetuous  Mars  on  the  neck, 
and  unstrung  his  limbs.  Seven  roods  he  covered  in  his  fall,  and  soiled  his 
hair  with  dust,  and  his  armor  rang  upon  him.  And  Minerva  laughed,  and 
spake  to  him  winged  words  exultingly  :  "  Fool,  not  even  yet  hast  thou  learnt 
how  far  better  than  thou  I  claim  to  be,  that  thus  thou  matchest  thy  might 
with  mine.  Thus  shalt  thou  satisfy  thy  mother's  curses,  who  deviseth  mis- 
chief against  thee  in  her  wrath,  for  that  thou  hast  left  the  Achoeans,  and  givest 
the  proud  Trojans  aid." 

Thus  having  said,  she  turned  from  him  her  shining  eyes.  Him  did  Venus, 
daughter  of  Jupiter,  take  by  the  hand  and  lead  away,  groaning  continually, 
for  scarce  gathered  he  his  spirit  back  to  him.^ 

§  70-  Toward  mortals 
Mars  could  show  himself, 
on  occasion,  as  vindictive  as 
his  fair  foe,  the  unwearied 
daughter  of  Jove.  This  fact, 
not  only  Cadmus,  who  slew 
a  serpent  sacred  to  Mars, 
but  all  the  family  of  Cad- 
mus found  out  to  their  cost. 
The  Fortunes  of  Cadmus. 
—  When  Europa  was  carried 
away  by  Jupiter  in  the  guise 
of  a  bull,  her  father  Agenor 
commanded  his  son  Cadmus 
to  go  in  search  of  her,  and 
not  to  return  without  her. 
Cadmus  sought  long  and  far ;  then,  not  daring  to  return  unsuc- 
cessful, consulted  the  oracle  of  Apollo  to  know  what  country  he 


1  Iliad  21 :  390.     I^ng,  Leaf,  and  Myers'  translation. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      115 

should  settle  in.  The  oracle  informed  him  that  he  would  find  a 
cow  in  the  field,  should  follow  her  wherever  she  might  wander, 
and  where  she  stopped  should  build  a  city  and  call  it  Thebes. 
Cadmus  had  hardly  left  the  Castalian  cave,  from  which  the  oracle 
was  delivered,  when  he  saw  a  young  cow  slowly  walking  before 
him.  He  followed  her  close,  offering  at  the  same  time  his  prayers 
to  Phoebus.  The  cow  went  on  till  she  passed  the  shallow  channel 
of  Cephissus,  and  came  out  into  the  plain  of  Panope.  There  she 
stood  still.  Cadmus  gave  thanks,  and  stooping  down  kissed  the 
foreign  soil,  then  lifting  his  eyes,  greeted  the  surrounding  moun- 
tains. Wishing  to  offer  a  sacrifice  to  his  protecting  deity,  Minerva, 
he  sent  his  servants  to  seek  pure  water  for  a  libation.  Near  by 
there  stood  an  ancient  grove  which  had  never  been  profaned  by 
the  axe,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  cave,  thick  covered  with  the 
growth  of  bushes,  its  roof  forming  a  low  arch,  from  beneath  which 
burst  forth  a  fountain  of  purest  water.  But  in  the  cave  lurked  a 
serpent  with  crested  head  and  scales  glittering  like  gold ;  his  eyes 
shone  like  fire ;  his  body  was  swollen  with  venom  ;  he  vibrated  a 
triple  tongue,  and  showed  a  triple  row  of  teeth.  No  sooner  had 
the  Tyrians  dipped  their  pitchers  in  the  fountain,  and  the  ingush- 
ing  waters  had  made  a  sound,  than  the  monster,  twisting  his  scaly 
body  in  a  huge  coil,  darted  upon  them  and  destroyed  some  with 
his  fangs,  others  in  his  folds,  and  others  with  his  poisonous  breath. 
Cadmus,  having  waited  for  the  return  of  his  men  till  midday, 
went  in  search  of  them.  When  he  entered  the  wood,  and  saw 
their  lifeless  bodies,  and  the  dragon  with  his  bloody  jaws,  not 
knowing  that  the  serpent  was  sacred  to  Mars,  scourge  of  mortals, 
he  lifted  a  huge  stone  and  threw  it  with  all  his  force  at  the  mon- 
ster. The  blow  made  no  impression.  Minerva,  however,  was 
present,  unseen,  to  aid  her  worshipper.  Cadmus  next  threw  his 
javelin,  which  penetrated  the  serpent's  scales,  and  pierced  through 
to  his  entrails.  The  monster  attempted  to  draw  out  the  weapon 
\vith  his  mouth,  but  broke  it  off,  leaving  the  iron  point  rankling  in 
his  flesh.  His  neck  swelled  with  rage,  bloody  foam  covered  his 
jaws,  and  the  breath  of  his  nostrils  poisoned  the  air  around.     As 


116 


CLASSIC  MVTirs  nv  engusft  literature. 


he  moved  onward,  Cadmus  retreated  before  him,  holding  his  spear 
opposite  to  the  serpent's  opened  jaws.  At  last,  watching  his 
chance,  the  hero  thrust  the  spear  at  a  moment  when  the  animal's 
head  thrown  back  came  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  so  suc- 
ceeded in  pinning  him  to  its  side. 

While  Cadmus  stood  over  his  conquered  foe,  contemplating  its 
vast  size,  a  voice  was  heard  (from  whence  he  knew  not,  but  it  was 
Minerva's)  commanding  him  to  take  the  dragon's  teeth  and  sow 
them  in  the  earth.  Scarce  had  he  done  so  when  the  clods  began 
to  move,  and  the  points  of  spears  to  appear  above  the  surface. 
Next  helmets,  with  their  nodding  plumes,  came  up ;   next,  the 


shoulders  and  breasts  and  limbs  of  men  with  weapons,  and  in 
time  a  harvest  of  armed  warriors.  Cadmus  prepared  to  encounter 
a  new  enemy,  but  one  of  them  said  to  him,  "  Meddle  not  with 
our  civil  war."  With  that  he  who  had  spoken  smote  one  of  his 
earth-born  brothers  with  a  sword,  and  he  himself  fell  pierced  with 
an  arrow  from  another.  The  latter  fell  victim  to  a  fourth,  and  in 
like  manner  the  whole  crowd  dealt  with  each  other  till  all  but  five 
fell  slain.  These  five  joined  with  Cadmus  in  building  his  city,  to 
which  they  gave  the  name  appointed. 

As  penance  for  the  destruction  of  this  sacred  serpent,  Cadmus 
served  Mars  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  After  he  had  been  ab- 
solved of  his  impiety,  Minerva  set  him  over  the  realm  of  Thebes, 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.     117 

and  Jove  gave  him  to  wife  Harmonia,  the  daughter  of  Venus  and 
Mars.  The  gods  left  Olympus  to  honor  the  occasion  with  their 
presence  ;  and  Vulcan  presented  the  bride  with  a  necklace  of  sur- 
passing brilliancy,  his  own  workmanship.  Of  this  marriage  were 
born  four  daughters,  Semele/  Ino,-  Autonoe/  and  Agave/  and  one 
son,  Polydorus.^  But  in  spite  of  the  atonement  made  by  Cadmus,  a 
fatality  hung  over  the  family.  The  very  necklace  of  Vulcan  seemed 
to  catch  the  spirit  of  ill-luck,  and  convey  a  baleful  influence  to 
such  as  wore  it.  Semele,  Ino,  Actaeon,  the  son  of  Autonoe,  and 
Pentheus,  the  son  of  Agave,  all  perished  by  violence.  Cadmus 
and  Harmonia  quitted  Thebes,  grown  odious  to  them,  and  emi- 
grated to  the  country  of  the  Enchelians,  who  received  them  with 
honor,  and  made  Cadmus  their  king.  But  the  misfortunes  of  their 
children  still  weighing  upon  their  minds,  Cadmus  one  day  ex- 
claimed, "  If  a  serpent's  life  is  so  dear  to  the  gods,  I  would  I  were 
myself  a  serpent."  No  sooner  had  he  uttered  the  words  than  he 
began  to  change  his  form.  Harmonia,  beholding  it,  prayed  the 
gods  to  let  her  share  his  fate.  Both  became  serpents.  It  is  said 
that,  mindful  of  their  origin,  they  neither  avoid  the  presence  of 
man,  nor  do  they  injure  any  one.  But  the  curse  appears  not  to 
have  passed  from  their  house  until  the  sons  of  their  great-great- 
grandson  (T^dipus  had  by  fraternal  strife  ended  themselves  and 
the  family." 

4.  Myths  of  Vulcan. 

§  71.  The  stories  of  Vulcan  are  few,  although  incidents  illus- 
trating his  character  are  sufficiently  numerous.  According  to  an 
account  already  given,  Vulcan,  because  of  his  lameness,  was  cas' 
out  of  Heaven  by  his  mother  Juno.  The  sea-goddesses,  Eurynomc 
and  Thetis,  took  him  mercifully  to  themselves,  and  for  nine  years 
cared  for  him,  while  he  plied  his  trade  and  gained  proficiency  in  it. 
In  order  to  revenge  himself  upon  the  mother  who  had  so  despite- 
fully  used  him,  he  fashioned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea  a  throne  of 

1  i^  62.         2  \\  103  and  129.        3  ^S^^  89,  102,  103.        <  \\  102,  103.  6  <^i^  158-164. 

*  Ovid,  Metain.  3 : 1-137 :  4  :  563-614. 


118  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

cunning  device,  which  he  sent  to  his  mother.  She  gladly  accepting 
the  glorious  gift,  sat  down  upon  it,  to  find  out  that  straightway  all 
manner  of  invisible  chains  and  fetters  wound  and  clasped  them- 
selves about  her  so  that  she  could  not  rise.  The  assistance  of  the 
gods  was  of  no  avail  to  release  her.  Then  Mars  sought  to  bring 
Vulcan  to  Heaven  by  force  that  he  might  undo  his  trickery ;  but 
before  the  flames  of  the  fire-god,  the  impetuous  warrior  speedily 
retreated.  One  god,  however,  the  jovial  Bacchus,  was  dear  to  the 
blacksmith.  He  drenched  Vulcan  with  wine,  conducted  him  to 
Olympus,  and  by  persuasion  caused  him  to  set  the  queen  of  gods 
and  men  at  liberty. 

That  Vulcan  was  not  permanently  hostile  to  Juno  is  shown  by 
the  services  that  on  various  occasions  he  rendered  her.  He  forged 
the  shield  of  her  favorite  Achilles ;  and,  at  her  instance,  he  under- 
took a  contest  against  the  river  Xanthus.  Homer '  describes  the 
burning  of  elms  and  willow  trees  and  tamarisks,  the  parching  of 
the  plains,  the  bubbling  of  the  waters,  that  signalized  the  fight, 
and  how  the  eels  and  other  fish  were  afflicted  by  Vulcan  till  Xan- 
thus in  anguish  cried  for  quarter. 

5.   Myths  of  Apollo. 

§  72.  The  myths  which  cluster  about  the  name  of  Phcebus  Apollo 
illustrate,  first,  his  birth  and  the  wanderings  of  his  mother,  Latona  ; 
secondly,  his  victory  over  darkness  and  winter ;  thirdly,  his  gifts 
to  man,  —  youth  and  vigor,  the  sunshine  of  spring  and  the  vege- 
tation of  early  summer ;  fourthly,  his  baleful  influence,  —  the  sun- 
stroke and  drought  of  midsummer,  the  miasma  of  autumn  ;  fifthly, 
his  life  on  earth,  as  friend  and  counsellor  of  mankind,  —  healer, 
soothsayer,  and  musician,  prototype  of  manly  beauty,  and  lover 
of  beautiful  women. 

The  Wanderings  of  Latona.  —  Persecuted  by  the  jealousy 
of  the  white-armed  Juno,  Latona  fled  from  land  to  land.  At 
last,  bearing  in  her  arms  the  infant  progeny  of  Jove,  she  reached 

1  Iliad  21 :335. 


MYTHS  OF  THE   GREAT  DIVTXITIRS  OF  HEAVEN.      119 

Lycia,  weary  with  her  burden  and  parched  with  thirst.  There  the 
following  adventure  ensued.  By  chance  the  persecuted  goddess 
espied  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley  a  pond  of  clear  water,  where 
the  country  people  were  at  work  gathering  willows  and  osiers. 
She  approached,  and  kneeling  on  the  bank  would  have  slaked  her 
thirst  in  the  cool  stream,  but  the  rustics  forbade  her.  "  Why  do 
you  refuse  me  water?"  said  she.  "Water  is  free  to  all.  Yet  I 
ask  it  of  you  as  a  favor.  I  have  no  intention  of  washing  my  limbs 
in  it,  weary  though  they  be,  but  only  of  (juenching  my  thirst.  A 
draught  of  water  would  be  nectar  to  me,  and  I  would  own  myself 
indebted  to  you  for  life  itself.  Let  these  infants  move  your  pity, 
who  stretch  out  their  little  arms  as  if  to  plead  for  me." 

But  the  clowns  persisted  in  their  rudeness ;  they  added  jeers, 
and  threatened  violence  if  she  did  not  leave  the  place.  They 
waded  into  the  pond,  and  stirred  up  the  mud  with  their  feet,  so 
as  to  make  the  water  unfit  to  drink.  Enraged,  the  goddess  no 
longer  supplicated  the  clowns,  but  lifting  her  hands  to  heaven  • 
exclaimed,  "  May  they  never  quit  that  pool,  but  pass  their  lives 
there  !"  And  it  came  to  pass  accordingly.  They  still  live  in  the 
water,  sometimes  totally  submerged,  then  raising  their  heads  above 
the  surface  or  swimming  upon  it ;  sometimes  coming  out  upon  the 
bank,  but  soon  leaping  back  again  into  the  water.  Their  voices  are 
harsh,  their  throats  bloated,  their  mouths  distended  by  constant 
railing ;  their  necks  have  shrunk  up  and  disappeared,  and  their 
heads  are  joined  to  their  bodies.  Their  backs  are  green,  their 
disproportioned  bellies  white.  They,  dwell  as  frogs  in  the  slimy  * 
pool.^ 

§  73.  Apollo,  the  Light  Triumphant.  — Soon  after  his  birth  the 
sun-god  spent  a  year  among  the  Hyperboreans,  whose  shining  land 
has  been  already  described.-  On  his  return,  slaying  with  his  golden 
arrows  the  Python  that  had  infested  the  slopes  near  Delphi,  he 
sang  for  the  first  time  that  song  of  victory,  which,  as  the  Pcean, 
is  still  among  all  nations  synonymous  with  jubilation,  praise,  and 
thanksgiving.     In  his  conflict  with  another  monster  of  darkness 

1  Ovid,  Mctani.  6 :  313-381.  '^  {  38. 


120  CLASSIC  MYTHS  /.V  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

and  winter,  the  god  of  the  silver  bow  had  the  assistance  of  his 
sister  Diana.  By  their  unerring  fiery  darts  they  subdued  the 
giant  Tityus,  who  not  only  had  obstructed  the  peaceful  ways  to 
the  oracle  of  Delphi,  but  had  ventured  to  insult  the  mother  of  the 
twin  deities.  They  overthrew  also  the  Aloadte,  Otus  and  Ephialtes, 
sons  of  Iphimedia  and  Neptune.  These  monsters,  the  reputed 
sons  of  Aloeus,  represent,  perhaps,  the  unregulated  forces  of  vege- 
tation ;  they  were  renowned  for  their  strength,  stature,  and  cour- 
age. They  grew  at  the  rate  of  three  cubits  in  height,  and  one  in 
breadth,  every  year ;  and,  when  nine  years  of  age,  they  attempted, 
by  piling  Mount  Ossa  upon  Olympus,  and  Mount  Pelion  on  top, 
to  scale  the  skies  and  dethrone  the  immortals.  It  is  reported  that 
not  Apollo  and  Diana,  but  Jupiter  himself  with  his  lightning  slew 
them.  They  atoned  for  their  presumption  in  Hades,  where  bound 
by  serpents  to  a  pillar,  they  were  tormented  by  the  perpetual  hoot- 
ing of  a  screech-owl.^ 

§  74.  Hyacinthus.  — The  fiery  force  of  the  Far-darter  was  not 
felt  by  the  monsters  of  darkness  alone.  His  friendship  for  the 
young  and  the  vigorous  was  frequently  as  dan- 
gerous as  it  was  dear  to  the  objects  of  it. 
He  was,  for  instance,  passionately  fond  of 
a  youth  named  Hyacinthus.  The  god  of  the 
silver  bow  accompanied  the  lad  in  his  sports, 
carried  the  nets  when  he  went  fishing,  led 
the  dogs  when  he  went  to  hunt,  followed 
him  in  his  excursions  in  the  mountains,  and 
neglected  for  him  both  lyre  and  arrows.  One 
day  they  played  a  game  of  quoits ;  Apollo, 
heaving  aloft  the  discus,  with  strength  min- 
gled with  skill,  sent  it  high  and  far.  Hya- 
cinthus, excited  with  the  sport  and  eager  to 
make  his  throw,  ran  forward  to  seize  the  missile  ;  but  it  bounded 
from  the  earth,  and  struck  him  in  the  forehead.  He  fainted  and 
fell.  The  god,  as  pale  as  himself,  raised  him  and  tried  all  his  art  to 
1  Roschei ,  Lfg.  2,  254,  Aload<e  (Schultz). 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GKEAt   DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      121 

stanch  the  wound  and  retain  the  flitting  Hfe,  but  in  vain.  As  when 
one  has  broken  the  stem  of  a  Hly  in  the  garden  it  hangs  its  head  and 
turns  its  flowers  to  the  earth,  so  the  head  of  the  dying  boy,  as  if 
too  heavy  for  his  neck,  fell  over  on  his  shoulder.  "  Thou  diest,. 
Hyacinth,"  spake  Phoebus,  "  robbed  of  thy  youth  by  me.  Would 
that  I  could  die  for  thee  !  But  since  that  may  not  be,  my  lyre 
shall  celebrate  thee,  my  song  shall  tell  thy  fate,  and  thou  shalt 
become  a  flower  inscribed  with  my  regret."  While  the  golden 
god  spoke,  the  blood  which  had  flowed  on  the  ground  and  stained 
the  herbage,  ceased  to  be  blood  ;  and  a  flower  of  hue  more  beau- 
tiful than  the  Tyrian  sprang  up,  resembling  the  lily,  save  that  this 
is  purple  and  that  silvery  white.  Phcebus  then,  to  confer  still 
greater  honor,  marked  the  petals  with  his  sorrow,  inscribing  "Ai ! 
ai ! "  upon  them.  The  flower  bears  the  name  of  Hyacinthus,  and 
with  returning  spring  revives  the  memory  of  his  fate.^ 

It  was  said  that  Zephyrus  (the  west  wind),  who  was  also  fond 
of  Hyacinthus  and  jealous  of  his  preference  of  Apollo,  blew  the 
quoit  out  of  its  course  to  make  it  strike  Hyacinthus. 

§  75.  While  this  youth  met  his  death  by  accident,  another  of 
Apollo's  favorites,  his  own  son,  brought  death  upon  himself  by 
presumption. 

Phaeton  was  the  son  of  Apollo  and  the  nymph  Clymene. 
One  day  ?2paphus,  the  son  of  Jupiter  and  lo,-  scofled  at  the  idea 
of  Phaeton's  being  the  son  of  a  god.  Phaeton  complained  of  the 
insult  to  his  mother  Clymene.  She  sent  him  to  Phoebus  to  ask 
for  himself  whether  he  had  not  been  tnily  informed  concerning 
his  parentage.  Gladly  Phaeton  travelled  toward  the  regions  of 
sunrise,  and  gained  at  last  the  palace  of  the  Sun.  He  approached 
his  father's  presence,  but  stopped  at  a  distance,  for  the  light  was 
more  than  he  could  bear.  Phoebus  Apollo,  arrayed  in  purple,  sat 
on  a  throne  that  glittered  with  diamonds.  Beside  him  stood  the 
Day,  the  Month,  the  Year,  the  Hours,  and  the  Seasons.  Surrounded 
by  these  attendants,  the  Sun  beheld  the  youth  dazzled  with  the 
novelty  and  splendor  of  the  scene,  and  inquired  the  purpose  of 

1  Ovid,  Metain.  10:  162-219.  '^  k  59- 


122  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

his  errand.  The  youth  rephed,  "  Oh,  hght  of  the  boundless  world, 
Phoebus,  my  father  —  if  thou  dost  yield  me  that  name — give 
me  some  proof,  I  beseech  thee,  by  which  I  may  be  known  as 
thine  ! "  He  ceased.  His  father,  laying  aside  the  beams  that 
shone  around  his  head,  bade  him  approach,  embraced  him,  owned 
him  for  his  son,  and  swore  by  the  river  Styx '  that  whatever  proof 
he  might  ask  should  be  granted.  Phaeton  immediately  asked  to 
be  permitted  for  one  day  to  drive  the  chariot  of  the  sun.  The 
father  repented  of  his  promise,  and  tried  to  dissuade  the  boy  by 
telling  him  the  perils  of  the  undertaking.  "  None  but  myself," 
he  said,  "may  drive  the  flaming  car  of  day.  Not  even  Jupiter, 
whose  terrible  right  arm  hurls  the  thunderbolts.  The  first  part  of 
the  way  is  steep,  and  such  as  the  horses  when  fresh  in  the  morning 
can  hardly  climb ;  the  middle  is  high  up  in  the  heavens,  whence 
I  myself  can  scarcely,  without  alarm,  look  down  and  behold  the 
earth  and  sea  stretched  beneath  me.  The  last  part  of  the  road 
descends  rapidly,  and  requires  most  careful  driving.  Tethys,  who 
is  waiting  to  receive  me,  often  trembles  for  me  lest  I  should  fall 
headlong.  Add  to  this  that  the  heaven  is  all  the  time  turning 
round  and  carrying  the  stars  with  it.  Couldst  thou  keep  thy 
course,  while  the  sphere  revolved  beneath  thee  ?  The  road,  also, 
is  through  the  midst  of  frightful  monsters.  Thou  must  pass  by 
the  horns  of  the  Bull,  in  front  of  the  Archer,  and  near  the 
Lion's  jaws,  and  where  the  Scorpion  stretches  its  arms  in  one 
direction  and  the  Crab  in  another.  Nor  wilt  thou  find  it  easy  to 
guide  those  horses,  with  their  breasts  full  of  fire  that  they  breathe 
forth  from  their  mouths  and  nostrils.  Beware,  my  son,  lest  I  be 
the  donor  of  a  fiital  gift ;  recall  the  request  while  yet  thou  canst." 
He  ended ;  but  the  youth  rejected  admonition,  and  held  to  his 
demand.  So,  having  resisted  as  long  as  he  might,  Phoebus  at  last 
led  the  way  to  where  stood  the  lofty  chariot. 

It  was  of  gold,  the  gift  of  Vulcan :  the  axle  of  gold,  the 
pole  and  wheels  of  gold,  the  spokes  of  silver.  Along  the  seat 
were   rows   of  chrysolites   and  diamonds,  reflecting  the  bright- 

1  k  48. 


MYTHS  OI-    THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVES'.      123 

ness  of  the  sun.  While  the  daring  youth  gazed  in  admira- 
tion, the  early  Dawn  threw  open  the  purple  doors  of  the  east, 
and  showed  the  pathway  strewn  with  roses.  The  stars  with- 
drew, marshalled  by  the  Daystar,  which  last  of  all  retired  also. 
•The  father,  when  he  saw  the  earth  beginning  to  glow,  and  the 
Moon  preparing  to  retire,  ordered  the  Hours  to  harness  up  the 
horses.  They  led  forth  from  the  lofty  stalls  the  steeds  full  fed 
with  ambrosia,  and  attached  the  reins.  Then  the  father,  smearing 
the  face  of  his  son  with  a  powerful  unguent,  made  him  capable  of 
enduring  the  brightness  of  the  flame.  He  set  the  rays  on  the  lad's 
head,  and,  with  a  foreboding  sigh,  told  him  to  spare  the  whip 
and  hold  tight  the  reins ;  not  to  take  the  straight  road  between 
the  five  circles,  but  to  turn  off  to  the  left ;  to  keep  within  the 
limit  of  the  middle  zone,  and  avoid  the  northern  and  the  southern 
alike  ;  finally,  to  keep  in  the  well-worn  ruts,  and  to  drive  neither 
too  high  nor  too  low,  for  the  middle  course  was  safest  and  best.' 

Forthwith  the  agile  youth  sprang  into  the  chariot,  stood  erect, 
and  grasped  the  reins  with  delight,  pouring  out  thanks  to  his 
reluctant  parent.  But  the  steeds  soon  perceived  that  the  load 
they  drew  was  lighter  than  usual ;  and  as  a  ship  without  ballast  is 
tossed  hither  and  thither  on  the  sea,  the  chariot,  without  its  accus- 
tomed weight,  was  dashed  about  as  if  empty.  The  horses  rushed 
headlong  and  left  the  travelled  road.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  the 
Great  and  Little  Bears  were  scorched  with  heat,  and  would  fain, 
if  it  were  possible,  have  plunged  into  the  water ;  and  the  Serpent 
which  lies  coiled  round  the  north  pole,  torpid  and  harmless, 
grew  warm,  and  with  warmth  felt  its  rage  revive.  Bootes,  they 
say,  fled  away,  though  encumbered  with  his  plough,  and  unused 
to  rapid  motion. 

When  hapless  Phaeton  looked  down  upon  the  earth,  now  spread- 
ing in  vast  extent  beneath  him,  he  grew  pale,  and  his  knees  shook 
with  terror.  He  lost  his  self-command,  and  knew  not  whether  to 
draw  tight  the  reins  or  throw  them  loose ;  he  forgot  the  names  of 
the  horses.     But  when  he  beheld  the  monstrous  forms  scattered 

1  Medio  tutissimus  ibis.  —  OviD. 


124  CLASSIC  MYTHS   IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

over  the  surface  of  heaven,  —  the  Scorpion  extending  two  great 
arms,  his  tail,  and  his  crooked  claws  over  the  space  of  two  signs  of 
the  zodiac,  —  when  the  boy  beheld  him,  reeking  with  poison  and 
menacing  with  fangs,  his  courage  failed,  and  the  reins  fell  from  his 
hands.  The  horses,  unrestrained,  went  off  into  unknown  regions 
of  the  sky,  in  among  the  stars,  hurling  the  chariot  over  pathless 
places,  now  up  in  high  heaven,  now  down  almost  to  the  earth. 
The  moon  saw  with  astonishment  her  brother's  chariot  nmning 
beneath  her  own.  The  clouds  began  to  smoke.  The  forest-clad 
mountains  burned,  —  Athos  and  Taurus  and  Tmolus  and  CEte ; 
Ida,  once  celebrated  for  fountains ;  the  Muses'  mountain  Helicon, 
and  Haemus  ;  yEtna,  with  fires  within  and  without,  and  Parnassus, 
with  his  two  peaks,  and  Rhodope,  forced  at  last  to  part  with  his 
snowy  crown.  Her  cold  climate  was  no  protection  to  Scythia ; 
Caucasus  burned,  and  Ossa  and  Pindus,  and,  greater  than  both, 
Olympus, — the  Alps  high  in  air,  and  the  Apennines  crowned  with 
clouds. 

Phaeton  beheld  the  world  on  fire,  and  felt  the  heat  intolerable. 
Then,  too,  it  is  said,  the  people  of  Ethiopia  became  black  because 
the  blood  was  called  by  the  heat  so  suddenly  to  the  surface  ;  and 
the  Libyan  desert  was  dried  up  to  the  condition  in  which  it  remains 
to  this  day.  The  Nymphs  of  the  fountains,  with  dishevelled  hair, 
mourned  their  waters,  nor  were  the  rivers  safe  beneath  their  banks  ; 
Tanais  smoked,  and  Caicus,  Xanthus,  and  Maeander ;  Babylonian 
Euphrates  and  Ganges,  Tagus,  with  golden  sands,  and  Cayster 
where  the  swans  resort.  Nile  fled  away  and  hid  his  head  in  the 
desert,  and  there  it  still  remains  concealed.  Where  he  used  to 
discharge  his  waters  through  seven  mouths  into  the  sea,  seven 
dry  channels  alone  remained.  The  earth  cracked  open,  and 
through  the  chinks  light  broke  into  Tartarus,  and  frightened 
the  king  of  shadows  and  his  queen.  The  sea  shrank  up.  Even 
Nereus  and  his  wife  Doris,  with  the  Nereids,  their  daughters, 
sought  the  deepest  caves  for  refuge.  Thrice  Neptune  essayed  to 
raise  his  head  above  the  surface,  and  thrice  was  driven  back  by 
the  heat.     Earth,  surrounded  as  she  was  by  waters,  yet  with  head 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      125 

and  shoulders  bare,  screening  her  face  with  her  hand,  looked  up 
to  heaven,  and  with  husky  voice  prayed  Jupiter  if  it  were  his 
will  that  she  should  perish  by  fire,  to  end  her  agony  at  once  by 
his  thunderbolts,  or  else  to  consider  his  own  heaven,  how  both 
the  poles  were  smoking  that  sustained  his  palace,  and  that  all  must 
fall  if  they  were  destroyed. 

Earth,  overcome  with  heat  and  thirst,  could  say  no  more.  Then 
Jupiter,  calling  the  gods  to  witness  that  all  was  lost  unless  some 
speedy  remedy  were  applied,  thundered,  brandished  a  lightning 
bolt  in  his  right  hand,  launched  it  against  the  charioteer,  and 
struck  him  at  the  same  moment  from  his  seat  and  from  existence. 
Phaeton,  with  his  hair  on  fire,  fell  headlong,  like  a  shooting  star 
which  marks  the  heavens  with  its  brightness  as  it  falls,  and  Erida- 
nus,  the  great  river,  received  him  and  cooled  his  burning  frame. 
His  sisters,  the  Heliades,  as  they  lamented  his  fate,  were  turned 
into  poplar  trees,  on  the  banks  of  the  river ;  and  their  tears,  which 
continued  to  flow,  became  amber  as  they  dropped  into  the  stream. 
The  Italian  Naiads  reared  a  tomb  for  him,  and  inscribed  these 
words  upon  the  stone  :  — 

"  Driver  of  Phccbus'  chariot,  Phaeton, 
Struck  by  Jove's  thunder,  rests  beneath  this  stone. 
He  could  not  rule  his  father's  car  of  fire, 
Yet  was  it  much  so  nobly  to  aspire."  * 

§  76.  It  was  not,  however,  only  by  accident,  or  by  the  ill-advised 
action  of  those  whom  he  loved,  that  Apollo's  gifts  of  light  and 
iieat  were  turned  into  misfortunes.  Mortals  who  offended  him 
were  levelled  by  the  cruel  sunstroke,  by  arrows  of  malarial  venom, 
of  manifold  sickness  and  death. 

The  Plague  sent  upon  the  Greeks  before  Troy.  — When  the  host 
of  the  Achjeans  was  encamped  before  Troy,  the  king  of  men, 
Atrides,  unjustly  declined  to  restore  his  captive,  Chryseis  of  the 

1  Hie  situs  est  Phaeton,  currus  auriga  patemi. 
Quern  si  non  tenuit,  magnis  tamen  excidit  ausis.  —  OviD. 

The  story  will  be  found  in  the  Metam.  2  :  1-400. 


126 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


fair  cheeks,  to  her  father  Chryses,  the  priest  of  far-darting  Apollo. 

Then  the  aged  Chryses  went  apart,  and  prayed  aloud,  "  Hear  me, 

god  of  the  silver  bow,  ...  let 
the  Danaans  pay  by  thine  ar- 
rows for  my  tears  !  " 

So  spake  he  in  prayer;  and  Phce- 

C^^i^s^  /////  ^^^//l^  /Tk.  '^"^   Apollo    heard   him,  and  came 

^-^^     /  /rill  fevCTVy  ,  -^v/IV.         down  from  the  peaks  of  Olympus 

wroth  at  heart,  bearing  on  his 
shoulders  his  bow  and  covered 
quiver.  And  the  arrows  clanged 
upon  his  shoulders  in  his  wrath,  as 
the  god  moved;  and  he  descended 
¥liilli'Hllllilili)  VJl  V  X'^^fc^-^^-aiU  like  to  night.  Then  he  sate  him 
aloof  from  the  ships,  and  let  an  arrow  fly;  and  there  was  heard  a  dread  clanging 
of  the  silver  bow.  First  did  he  assail  the  mules  and  fleet  dogs,  but  afterward, 
aiming  at  the  men  his  piercing  dart,  he  smote;  and  the  pyres  of  the  dead 
burnt  continually  in  multitude.  Nor  until  Agamemnon  had  sent  back  his 
winsome  captive  to  her  father  did  Apollo  remove  from  the  Danaans  the 
loathsome  pestilence.^ 

§  77.  The  Punishment  of  Niobe  is  another  illustration  of  the 
swift  and  awful  vengeance  of  Apollo,  and  also  of  his  sister  Diana. 
This  Niobe  was  the  daughter  of  a  certain  Tantalus,  king  of  Phrygia, 
who  had  been  received  at  the  table  of  the  gods  by  his  father, 
Jupiter.  But  there  was  a  strain  of  ingratitude  and  conceit  in  both 
father  and  daughter.  The  father  not  only  betrayed  the  secrets  of 
the  gods,  but,  to  ridicule  their  reputed  omniscience,  attempted,  at 
a  banquet,  to  deceive  them  into  eating  the  roasted  flesh  of  his  own 
son  Pelops.  The  gods  were  not  deceived.  Pelops  was  restored 
to  life,  —  Tantalus  consigned  to  Tartarus.  The  daughter,  Niobe, 
although  she  owed  her  happy  marriage  with  Jupiter's  son  Amphion, 
and  her  seven  stalwart  sons  and  seven  blooming  daughters,  to  the 
favor  of  the  gods,  and  of  Latona  in  particular,  boasted  of  her  birth, 
her  marriage,  and  her  offspring,  bragged  of  her  superiority  to 
Latona,  and,  on  one  occasion,  scoffed  at  the  annual  celebration  in 

1  From  Lang,  Leaf  &  Myers's  Iliad,  i :  43-52. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEIAVEN.      Ill 

honor  of  the  goddess  and  her  two  children.  Surveying  the  people 
of  Thebes  with  haughty  glance,  she  said,  "  \Vhat  folly  to  prefer 
beings  whom  you  have  never  seen  to  those  who  stand  before  your 
eyes  !  Will  you  prefer  to  me  this  Latona,  the  Titan's  daughter,  with 
her  two  children?  I  have  seven  times  as  many.  Were  I  to  lose 
some  of  my  children,  I  should  hardly  be  left  as  poor  as  Latona 
with  her  two  only.  Put  off  the  laurel  from  your  brows,  —  have 
done  with  this  worship  ! "  The  people  left  the  sacred  services 
uncompleted. 

The  goddess  was  indignant.  On  the  Cynthian  mountain  top 
she  thus  addressed  her  son  and  daughter  :  "  My  children,  I  who 
have  been  so  proud  of  you  both,  and  have  been  used  to  hold 
myself  second  to  none  of  the  goddesses  except  Juno  alone,  begin 
now  to  doubt  whether  I  am  indeed  a  goddess.  I  shall  be  deprived 
of  my  worship  altogether  unless  you  protect  me."  She  was  pro- 
ceeding in  this  strain,  but  Apollo  interrupted  her.  "  Say  no  more," 
said  he  ;  "  speech  only  delays  punishment."  So  said  Diana  also. 
Darting  through  the  air,  veiled  in  clouds,  they  alighted  on  the 
towers  of  the  city.  Spread  out  before  the  gates  was  a  broad  plain, 
where  the  youth  of  the  city  pursued  their  warlike  sports.  The 
sons  of  Niobe  were  there  with  the  rest,  —  some  mounted  on  spir- 
ited horses  richly  caparisoned,  some  driving  gay  chariots.  Ismehos, 
the  first-born,  as  he  guided  his  foaming  steeds,  was  struck  by  an 
arrow  from  above.  "  Ah  me  !  "  he  cried,  — dropped  the  reins  and 
fell  lifeless.  Another,  hearing  the  sound  of  the  bow,  gave  the  rein  i 
to  his  horses  and  attempted  to  escape.  The  inevitable  arrow 
overtook  him  as  he  fled.  Two  others,  younger,  stood,  wrestling, 
breast  to  breast :  one  arrow  pierced  them  both.  Alphehor,  an 
elder  brother,  hastened  to  the  spot  to  render  assistance,  but  fell 
in  the  act  of  brotherly  duty.  One  only  was  left,  Ilioneus.  "  Spare 
me,  ye  gods  ! "  he  cried,  addressing  all  of  them,  in  his  ignorance 
that  all  needed  not  his  supplication ;  and  Apollo  would  have 
spared  him,  but  the  arrow  had  already  left  the  string,  and  it  was  • 
too  late. 

When  Niobe  was  acquainted  with  what  had  tak-en  place,  she 


128 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IX  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


was  indignant  that  the  gods  had  dared  and  amazed  that  they  had 
been  able  to  do  it.  Her  husband,  Amphibn,  overwhelmed  with 
the  blow,  destroyed  himself.  But  the  mother  knelt  over  the  life- 
less bodies,  and  kissed  them.  Raising  her  pallid  arms  to  heaven, 
"  Cruel  Latona,"  said  she,  "  satiate  thy  hard  heart,  while  I  follow 
to  the  grave  my  seven  sons.     Yet  where  is  thy  triumph  ?    Bereaved 

as  I  am,  I  am  still  richer 
than  thou,  my  conqueror." 
Scarce  had  she  spoken, 
when  the  bow  sounded  and 
struck  terror  into  all  hearts 
except  Niobe's  alone.  She 
was  brave  from  excess  of 
grief.  Her  daughters  stood 
in  garments  of  mourning 
over  the  biers  of  their  dead 
brothers.  One  after  an- 
other they  fell,  struck  by 
arrows,  beside  the  corpses 
that  they  were  bewailing. 
Only  one  remained,  whom 
the  mother  held  clasped  in 
.her  arms,  and  covered,  as 
it  were,  with  her  whole 
body.  "  Spare  me  one,  and 
that  the  youngest !  Oh, 
spare  me  one  of  so  many  !  " 
she  cried  ;  and  while  she  spoke,  that  one  fell  dead.  Desolate  she 
sat,  among  sons,  daughters,  husband,  all  dead,  and  seemed  torpid 
with  grief.  The  breeze  moved  not  her  hair,  no  color  was  on  her 
cheek,  her  eyes  glared  fixed  and  immovable,  there  was  no  sign 
of  life  about  her.  Her  very  tongue  cleaved  to  the  roof  of  her 
mouth,  and  her  veins  ceased  to  convey  the  tide  of  life.  Her  neck 
bent  not,  her  arms  made  no  gesture,  her  foot  no  step.  She  was 
changed   to  stone,  within  and  without.     Yet  tears  continued  to 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      129 

flow ;  and,  borne  on  a  whirlwind  to  her  native  mountain,  she 
still  remains,  a  mass  of  rock,  from  which  a  trickling  stream  flows, 
the  tribute  of  her  never-ending  grief.' 

"  Amid  nine  daughters  slain  by  Artemis 
Stood  Niobe:   she  rais'd  her  head  above 
Those  beauteous  forms  which  had  brought  down  the  scath 
Whence  all  nine  fell,  rais'd  it,  and  stood  erect. 
And  thus  bespake  the  goddess  enthroned  on  high : 

'Tliou  heardest,  Artemis,  my  daily  prayer 
That  thou  wouldst  guide  these  children  in  the  pass 
Of  virtue,  through  the  tangling  wilds  of  youth. 
And  thou  didst  ever  guide  them :    was  it  just 
To  smite  them  for  a  beauty  such  as  thine? 
Deserv'd  they  death  because  thy  grace  appear'd 
In  ever  modest  motion?   'twas  thy  gift. 
The  richest  gift  that  youth  from  heaven  receives. 
True,  I  did  boldly  say  they  might  compare 
Even  with  thyself  in  virgin  purity : 
May  not  a  mother  in  her  pride  repeat 
What  every  mortal  said? 

One  prayer  remains 
For  me  to  offer  yet. 
Thy  quiver  holds 

More  than  nine  arrows:    bend  thy  bow;    aim  here  I 
I  see,  I  see  it  glimmering  through  a  cloud. 
Artemis,  thou  at  length  art  merciful: 
My  children  will  not  hear  the  fatal  twang.' "^ 

§  78.  The  Lamentation  for  Linus.  —  How  the  people  of  Argos 
fell  under  the  displeasure  of  .\pollo  is  told  in  the  story  of  Linus, 
a  beautiful  son  of  Apollo  and  Psatdathe.  In  fear  of  her  father  the 
king,  Psamathe  exposed  the  child  on  the  mountains,  where,  brought 
up  by  shepherds  among  the  lambs,  he  was  in  tender  youth  torn  to 
pieces  by  dogs.  Meanwhile  Psamathe,  herself,  was  driven  from  her 
father's  home,  wherefore  Apollo  sent  against  the  land  of  the  Argives 
a  monster  that  for  a  season  destroyed  the  children,  but  at  last  was 
slain  by  a  noble  youth  named  Corcebus.     To  appease  the  wrathful 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  6:  165-312.  *  From  W.  S.  Landor's  Niobc. 


130 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 


deity,  a  shrine  was  erected  midway  between  Argos  and  Delphi ; 
and  every  year  Linus  and  his  mother  were  bewailed  in  melancholy 
lays  by  the  mothers  and  children  of  Argos,  especially  by  such  as 
had  lost  by  death  their  own  beloved. 

§  79.  ^sculapius. — The  Thessalian  princess  Coronis  (or  the 
Messenian,  Arsinoe)  bore  to  Apollo  a  child  who  was  named 
^sculapius.  On  his  mother's  death  the  infant  was  intrusted  to 
the  charge  of  Chiron,  most  famous  of  the 
Centaurs,  himself  instructed  by  Apollo  and 
Diana  in  hunting,  medicine,  music,  and  the 
art  of  prophecy.  When  the  sage  returned 
to  his  home  bearing  the  infant,  his  daughter 
Ocyrrhoe  came  forth  to  meet  him,  and  at 
sight  of  the  child  burst  into  a  prophetic 
strain,  foretelling  the  glory  that  he  should 
achieve.  ^^Esculapius,  when  grown  up,  be- 
came a  renowned  physician ;  in  one  instance 
he  even  succeeded  in  restoring  the  dead 
to  life.  Pluto  resented  this ;  and,  at  his  re- 
quest, Jupiter  struck  the  bold  physician  with 
lightning  and  killed  him,  but  after  his  death 
received  him  into  the  number  of  the  gods.^ 

§  80.  Apollo  in  Exile.  —  Apollo,  indignant 
at  the  destruction  of  this  son,  wreaked  his 
vengeance  on  the  innocent  workmen  who 
had  made  the  thunderbolt.  These  were  the  Cyclopes,  who  had 
their  workshop  under  Mount  /Etna,  from  which  the  smoke  and 
flames  of  their  furnaces  are  constantly  issuing.  Apollo  shot  his 
arrows  at  the  Cyclopes,  a  deed  which  so  incensed  Jupiter  that  he 
condemned  him  to  serve  a  mortal  for  the  space  of  one  year. 
Accordingly,  Apollo  went  into  the  service  of  Admetus,  king  of 
Thessaly,  and  pastured  his  flocks  for  him  on  the  verdant  banks 
of  the  river  Amphrysus.  How  the  god  lived  among  men,  and  what 
they  thought  of  him,  is  well  told  in  the  following  verses  :  — 

1  Cicero,  N.itura  Deorum,  3,  22. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      131 


THE   SHEPHERD   OF  KING  ADMETUS.i 

There  came  a  youth  upon  the  earth, 

Some  thousand  years  ago, 
Whose  slender  hands  were  nothing  worth, 
Whether  to  plough,  or  reap,  or  sow. 

Upon  an  empty  tortoise-shell 

He  stretched  some  chords,  and  drew 
Music  that  made  men's  bosoms  swell 
Fearless,  or  brimmed  their  eyes  with  dew. 

Then  King  Admetus,  one  who  had 

Pure  taste  by  right  divine, 
•  Dbcreed  his  singtng'  not  too  bad   ' 
To  hear  between  the  cups  of  wine : 

And  so,  well  pleased  with  being  soothed 

Into  a  sweet  half-sleep. 
Three  times  his  kingly  beard  he  smoothed, 
And  made  him  viceroy  o'er  his  sheep. 

His  words  were  simple  words  enough. 

And  yet  he  used  them  so. 
That  what  in  other  mouths  was  rough 
In  his  seemed  musical  and  low. 

Men  called  him  but  a  shiftless  youth, 

In  whom  no  good  they  saw; 
And  yet,  unwittingly,  in  truth. 
They  made  his  careless  words  their  law. 

They  knew  not  how  he  learned  at  all, 

For  idly,  hour  by  hour. 
He  sat  and  watched  the  dead  leaves  fall. 
Or  mused  upon  a  common  flower. 

It  seemed  the  loveliness  of  things 

Did  teach  him  all  their  use, 
For,  in  mere  weeds,  and  stones,  and  springs, 
He  found  a  healing  power  profuse. 

1  J.  k.  LoweU. 


132  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Men  granted  that  his  speech  was  wise, 

But,  when  a  glance  they  caught 
Of  his  slim  grace  and  woman's  eyes, 
They  laughed,  and  called  him  good-for-naught. 

Yet  after  he  was  dead  and  gone 

And  e'en  his  memory  dim, 
Earth  seemed  more  sweet  to  live  upon, 
More  full  of  love,  because  of  him. 

And  day  by  day  more  holy  grew 
Each  spot  where  he  had  trod. 
Till  after-poets  only  knew 
»  Their  first-born  brother  as  a  god. 

§  81.  Admetus  and  Alcestis.'  —  Admetiis  was  a  suitor,  with 
others,  for  the  hand  of  Alcestis,  the  daughter  of  PeUas,  who  prom- 
ised her  to  him  who  should  come  for  her  in  a  chariot  drawn  by 
Hons  and  boars.  This  task  Admetus  performed  by  the  assistance 
of  his  divine  herdsman,  and  was  made  happy  in  the  possession  of 
Alcestis.  But  Admetus  fell  ill,  and  being  near  to  death,  Apollo 
prevailed  on  the  Fates  to  spare  him  on  condition  that  some  one 
should  consent  to  die  in  his  stead.  Admetus,  in  his  joy  at  this 
reprieve,  thought  little  of  the  ransom,  and,  perhaps  remembering 
the  declarations  of  attachment  which  he  had  often  heard  from  his 
courtiers  and  dependents,  fancied  that  it  would  be  easy  to  find  a 
substitute.  But  it  was  not  so.  Brave  warriors,  who  would  willingly 
have  perilled  their  lives  for  their  prince,  shrunk  from  the  thought 
of  dying  for  him  on  the  bed  of  sickness ;  and  old  servants  who 
had  experienced  his  bounty  and  that  of  his  house  from  their  child- 
hood up  were  not  willing  to  lay  down  the  scanty  remnant  of  their 
days  to  show  their  gratitude.  Men  asked,  "  Why  does  not  one 
of  his  parents  do  it?  They  cannot  in  the  course  of  nature  live 
much  longer,  and  who  can  feel  like  them  the  call  to  rescue  the  life 
they  gave  from  an  untimely  end  ?  "  But  the  parents,  distressed 
though  they  were  at  the  thought  of  losing  him,  shrunk  from  the 

1  See  Conmientary,  ^  81. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      133 

call.  Then  Alcestis,  with  a  generous  self-devotion,  proffered  her- 
self as  the  substitute.  Admetus,  fond  as  he  was  of  life,  would  not 
have  submitted  to  receive  it  at  such  a  cost ;  but  there  was  no 
remedy.  The  condition  imposed  by  the  Fates  had  been  met,  and 
the  decree  was  irrevocable.  As  Admetus  revived,  Alcestis  sickened, 
rapidly  sank,  and  died. 

Just  after  the  funeral  procession  had  left  the  palace,  Hercules, 
the  son  of  Jupiter  and  Alcmena,  arrived.  He,  to  whom  no  labor 
was  too  arduous,  resolved  to  attempt  her  rescue.    Said  he  :  — 

"  I  will  go  lie  in  wait  for  Death,  black-stoled 
King  of  the  corpses !  ^     I  shall  find  him,  sure, 
Drinking,  beside  the  tomb,  o'  the  sacrifice : 
And  if  I  lie  in  ambuscade,  and  leap 
Out  of  my  lair,  and  seize  —  encircle  him 
Till  one  hand  join  the  other  round  about  — 
There  lives  not  who  shall  pull  him  out  from  me. 
Rib-mauled,  before  he  let  the  woman  go ! 
But  even  say  I  miss  the  booty,  —  say, 
Death  comes  not  to  the  boltered  blood,  —  why,  then, 
Down  go  I,  to  the  unsunned  dwelling-place 
Of  Kore  and  the  king  there,  —  make  demand, 
Confident  1  shall  bring  Alkestis  back, 
So  as  to  put  her  in  the  hands  of  him 
My  host,  that  housed  me,  never  drove  me  off: 
Though  stricken  with  sore  sorrow  hid  the  stroke, 
Being  a  noble  heart  and  honoring  me ! 
Who  of  Thessalians,  more  than  this  man,  loves 
The  stranger?     Who  that  now  inhabits  Greece? 
Wherefore  he  shall  not  say  the  man  was  vile 
Whom  he  befriended,  —  native  noble  heart !  " 
So,  one  look  upward,  as  if  Zeus  might  laugh 
Approval  of  his  human  progeny, — 
One  summons  of  the  whole  magnific  frame, 
Each  sinew  to  its  service,  —  up  he  caught. 
And  over  shoulder  cast  the  lion-shag. 
Let  the  club  go,  —  for  had  he  not  those  hands? 

1  From  Browning's  Balaustion's  Adventure.  The  Greek  form  of  the  proper 
names  has  been  retained. 


134  CLASSIC  MYTHS   IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

And  so  went  striding  off,  on  that  straight  way 
Leads  to  Larissa  and  the  suijurb  tomlj. 
Gladness  be  with  thee,  Helper  of  our  world! 
•■    I  think  this  is  the  authentic  sign  anil  seal 
Of  Godship  that  it  ever  waxes  glad, 
And  more  glad,  until  gladness  blossoms,  bursts 
Into  a  rage  to  suffer  for  mankind, 
And  recommence  at  sorrow :    drops  like  seed 
After  the  blossom,   ultimate  of  all. 
Say,  does  the  seed  scorn  earth  and  seek  the  sun? 
Surely  it  has  no  other  end  and  aim 
Than  to  drop,  once  more  die  into  the  ground. 
Taste  cold  and  darkness  and  oblivion  there : 
And  thence  rise,  tree-like  grow  through  pain  to  joy, 
More  joy  and  most  joy,  —  do  man  good  again. 
So  to  the  struggle  off  strode  Ilerakles. 

Long  time  the  Thessalians  waited  and  mourned.  As  for 
Herakles,  no  doubt  they  supposed  him  dead.  When  —  but  can 
it  be?  — 

.  .  .  Ay,  he  it  was  advancing !     In  he  strode, 

And  took  his  stand  before  Admetos,  —  turned 

Now  by  despair  to  such  a  quietude. 

He  neither  raised  his  face  nor  spoke,  this  time. 

The  while  his  friend  surveyed  him  steadily. 

That  friend  looked  rough  with  fighting:    had  he  strained 

Worst  brute  to  breast  was  ever  strangled  yet? 

Somehow,  a  victory  —  for  there  stood  the  strength, 

Happy,  as  always;    something  grave,  perhaps; 

The  great  vein-cordage  on  the  fret-worked  front, 

Black-swollen,  beaded  yet  with  battle-dew 

The  golden  hair  o'  the  hero !  —  his  big  frame 

A-quiver  with  each  muscle  sinking  back 

Into  the  sleepy  smooth  it  leaped  from  late. 

Under  the  great  guard  of  one  arm,  there  leant 

A  shrouded  something,  live  and  woman-like, 

Propped  by  the  heartbeats  'ncath  the  lion-coat. 

When  he  had  finished  his  survey,  it  seemed, 

The  heavings  of  the  heart  began  subside. 

The  helpful  breath  rcturncil.  and  last  the  smile 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      135 

Shone  out,  all  Herakles  was  back  again, 
As  the  words  followed  the  saluting  hand. 

"  Admetus,"  said  he,  "  take  and  keep  this  woman,  my  captive, 
till  I  come  thy  way  again."  But  Admetus  would  admit  no  woman 
into  the  hall  that  Alcestis  had  left  empty.  Then  cried  Herakles, 
"  Take  hold  of  her.  See  now,  my  friend,  if  she  look  not  some- 
what like  that  wife  thou  hast  lost." 

Ah,  but  the  tears  come,  find  the  words  at  fault ! 

There  is  no  telling  how  the  hero  twitched 

The  veil  off;    and  there  stood,  with  such  fixed  eyes 

And  such  slow  smile,  Alkestis'  silent  self! 

It  was  the  crowning  grace  of  that  great  heart, 

To  keep  back  joy :    procrastinate  the  truth 

Until  the  wife,  who  had  made  proof  and  found 

The  husband  wanting,  might  essay  once  more. 

Hear,  see,  and  feel  him  renovated  now  — 

Able  to  do  now  all  herself  had  done, 

Risen  to  the  height  of  her:    so,  hand  in  hand. 

The  two  might  go  together,  live  and  die. 

Beside,  when  he  found  speech,  you  guess  the  speech. 

He  could  not  think  he  saw  his  wife  again : 

It  was  some  mocking  God  that  used  the  bliss 

To  make  him  mad !     Till  Herakles  must  help : 

Assure  him  that  no  spectre  mocked  at  all; 

He  was  embracing  whom  he  buried  once. 

Still,  —  did  he  touch,  might  he  address  the  true, 

True  eye,  true  body  of  the  true  live  wife? 

.  .  .  And  Herakles  said  little,  but  enough  — 

How  he  engaged  in  combat  with  that  king 

O'  the  dnemons:    how  the  field  of  contest  lay 

By  the  tomb's  self:    how  he  sprang  from  ambuscade. 

Captured  Death,  caught  him  in  that  pair  of  hands. 

But  all  the  time,  Alkestis  moved  not  once 
Out  of  the  set  gaze  and  the  silent  smile; 
And  a  cold  fear  ran  through  Admetos'  frame : 
"Why  does  she  stand  and  front  me,  silent  thus?" 


136  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  KMGUSIT  LITERATURE. 

Herakles  solemnly  replied,  "  Not  yet 

Is  it  allowable  thou  hear  the  things 

She  has  to  tell  thee;    let  evanish  quite 

That  consecration  to  the  lower  Gods, 

And  on  our  upper  world  the  third  day  rise ! 

Lead  her  in,  meanwhile;    good  and  true  thou  art, 

Good,  true,  remain  thou !     Practise  piety 

To  stranger-guests  the  old  way !     So,  farewell ! 

Since  forth  I  fare,  fulfil  my  urgent  task 

Set  by  the  king,  the  son  of  Sthenelos."  ^ 

§  82.  Apollo,  the  Musician.  —  Not  only  in  Arcadia,  Laconia, 
and  Thessaly  did  Apollo  care,  as  a  herdsman,  for  the  cattle  of  a 
mortal  master ;  in  Mount  Ida,  too,  by  the  order  of  Jupiter  he 
herded  for  a  year  the  "  shambling,  crook-horned  kine  "  of  King 
Laofnedon,  and,  playing  on  the  lyre,  aided  Neptune  to  build  the 
walls  of  Troy,  just  as  Amphion,  in  his  turn,  had  aided  in  the 
building  of  Thebes.  Apollo's  life  as  herdsman  was  spent  in  estab- 
lishing wise  laws  and  customs,  in  musical  contests  on  the  flute, 
and  the  lyre,  or  in  passages  of  love  with  nymphs  and  maidens  of 
mortal  mould. 

§  83.  Apollo,  Pan,  and  Midas."  —  It  is  said  that  on  a  certain 
occasion  Pan  had  the  temerity  to  compare  his  music  with  that 
of  Apollo,  and  to  challenge  the  god  of  the  lyre  to  a  trial  of  skill. 
The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  Tmolus,  the  mountain-god,  was 
chosen  umpire.  The  senior  took  his  seat,  and  cleared  away  the 
trees  from  his  ears  to  listen.  At  a  given  signal  Pan  blew  on  his 
pipes,  and  with  his  rustic  melody  gave  great  satisfaction  to  him- 
self and  his  faithful  follower  Midas,  who  happened  to  be  present. 
Then  Tmolus  turned  his  head  toward  the  sun-god,  and  all  his  trees 
turned  with  him.  Apollo  rose  ;  his  brow  wreathed  with  Parnassian 
laurel,  while  his  robe  of  Tyrian  purple  swept  the  ground.  In  his 
left  hand  he  held  the  lyre,  and  with  his  right  hand  struck  the 
strings.  Tmolus  at  once  awarded  the  victory  to  the  lyric  god,  and 
all  but  Midas  acquiesced  in  the  judgment.     He  dissented,  and 

1  For  the  originals,  see  Iliad  2:715,  and  the  Alcestis  of  Euripides. 

2  Ovid,  Metam.  11: 146-193. 


MYTHS   OF  THE    GREAT  DTVryTTTF.S   OF  HE. 4  VEX.     137 

questioned  the  justice  of  the  award.    Apollo  promptly  transformed 
his  depraved  pair  of  ears  into  those  of  an  ass. 

King  Midas  tried  to  hide  his  misfortune  under  an  ample  turban. 
But  his  hair- dresser  found  it  too 
much  for  his  discretion  to  keep  such 
a  secret ;  he  dug  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  and,  stooping  down,  whis- 
pered the  story,  and  covered  it  up. 
But  a  thick  bed  of  reeds  springing 
up  in  the  meadow  began  whisper- 
ing the  story,  and  has  continued  to 
do  so  from  that  day  to  this,  every 
time  a  breeze  passes  over  the 
place. 

In  the  following  "  Hymn," '  Pan 
taunts  Apollo  as  he  might  have  done 
when  Midas  was  sitting  contentedly 
by:- 

From  the  forests  and  highlands 

We  come,  we  come; 
From  the  river-girt  islands, 

Where  loud  waves  are  dumb. 
Listening  to  my  sweet  pipings. 
The  wind  in  the  reeds  and  the  rushes, 

The  bees  on  the  bells  of  thyme. 
The  birds  on  the  myrtle  bushes, 

The  cicale  above  in  the  lime, 
And  the  lizards  below  in  the  grass, 
Were  as  silent  as  ever  old  Tmolus  was 
Listening  to  my  sweet  pipings. 

Liquid  Peneus  was  flowing, 

And  all  dark  Tempe  lay. 
In  Pelion's  shadow,  outgrowing 

The  light  of  the  dying  day, 


1  Shelley,  Hymn  of  Pan. 


138  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURK. 

Speeded  by  my  sweet  pipings. 
The  Sileni,  and  Sylvans,  and  Fauns, 

And  the  Nymphs  of  the  woods  and  waves, 
To  the  edge  of  the  moist  river-lawns, 

And  the  brink  of  the  dewy  caves, 
And  all  that  did  then  attend  and  follow 
Were  silent  with  love,  as  you  now,  Apollo, 
With  envy  of  my  sweet  pipings. 

I  sang  of  the  dancing  stars, 

I  sang  of  the  daedal  Earth, 
And  of  Heaven  —  and  the  giant  wars, 
And  Love,  and  Death,  and  Birth, — 
And  then  I  changed  my  pipings, — 
Singing  how  down  the  vale  of  Menalus 

I  pursued  a  maiden,  and  clasp'd  a  reed : 
Gods  and  men,  we  are  all  deluded  thus ! 

It  breaks  in  our  bosom  and  then  we  bleed : 
All  wept,  as  I  think  both  ye  now  would. 
If  envy  or  age  had  not  frozen  your  blood, 
At  the  sorrow  of  my  sweet  pipings. 

§  84.  The  Loves  of  Apollo.  —  Beside  Psamathe  of  Argos,^  Coro- 
nis  of  Thessaly,'"^  and  the  nymph  Clymene,"'  Apollo  loved  the  muse 
Calliope,  who  bore  him  Orpheus,"*  and  the  nymph  Cyrene,  whose 
son  was  xAristaeus.^  Of  his  relations  with  two  other  maidens  the 
following  myths  exist. 

§  85,  Daphne." — The  lord  of  the  silver  bow  was  not  always 
prosperous  in  his  wooing.  His  first  love,  which,  by  the  way, 
owed  its  origin  to  the  malice  of  Cupid,  —  was  specially  unfortunate. 
It  appears  that  Apollo,  seeing  the  boy  playing  with  his  bow  and 
arrows,  had  tauntingly  advised  him  to  leave  warlike  weapons  for 
hands  worthy  of  them  and  content  himself  with  the  torch  of  love. 
Whereupon  the  son  of  Venus  had  rejoined,  "Thine  arrows  may 
strike  all  things  else,  Apollo,  but  mine  shall  strike  thee." 

1  {  78.  *  i  79.  ^  k  75-  *  k  107-  ®  k  130- 

6  Ovid,  Metam.  i :  452-567. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      139 

So  saying,  he  took  his  stand  on  a  rock  of  Parnassus,  and  drew 
from  his  quiver  two  arrows  of  different  workmanship,  —  one  to 
excite  love,  the  other  to  repel  it.  The  former  was  of  gold  and 
sharp  pointed,  the  latter  blunt  and  tipped  with  lead.  With  the 
leaden  shaft  he  struck  the  nymph  Daphne,  the  daughter  of  the  river- 
god  Peneiis,  and  with  the  golden  one  Apollo,  through  the  heart. 
Forthwith  the  god  was  seized  with  love  for  the  maiden,  but  she, 
more  than  ever,  abhorred  the  thought  of  loving.  Her  delight  was 
in  woodland  sports  and  in  the  spoils  of  the  chase.  Spurning  all 
lovers,  she  prayed  her  father  that  she  might  remain  always  unmar- 
ried, like  Diana.  He  consented,  but,  at  the  same  time,  warned 
her  that  her  beauty  would  defeat  her  purpose.  It  was  the  face  of 
this  huntress-maiden  that  Apollo  saw.  He  saw  the  charming  dis- 
order of  her  hair,  and  would  have  arranged  it ;  he  saw  her  eyes 
bright  as  stars ;  he  saw  her  lips,  and  was  not  satisfied  with  only 
seeing  them.  He  longed  for  Daphne.  He  followed  her  ;  she  fled, 
swifter  than  the  wind,  nor  delayed  a  moment  at  his  entreaties. 
"  Stay,"  said  he,  "  daughter  of  Peneiis ;  I  am  not  a  foe.  It  is  for 
love  I  pursue  thee.  I  am  no  clown,  no  rude  peasant.  Jupiter  is 
my  father.  I  am  lord  of  Delphi  and  Tenedos.  I  know  all  things, 
present  and  future.  I  am  the  god  of  song  and  the  lyre.  My 
arrows  fly  true  to  the  mark ;  but  alas !  an  arrow  more  fatal  than 
mine  has  pierced  my  heart !  I  am  the  god  of  medicine,  and  know 
the  virtues  of  all  healing  plants.  Alas  !  I  suffer  a  malady  that  no 
balm  can  cure." 

The  nymph  continues  her  flight,  and  leaves  his  plea  half  uttered. 
But  even  as  she  flies  she  charms  him.  The  wind  catches  her 
garments,  and  her  unbound  hair  streams  loose  behind  her.  The 
god,  sped  by  Cupid,  gains  upon  her  in  the  race.  His  panting 
breath  blows  upon  her  hair.  Her  strength  begins  to  fail,  and, 
ready  to  sink,  she  calls  upon  her  father,  the  river-god :  "  Help 
me,  Peneiis  !  open  the  earth  to  enclose  me,  or  change  my  form, 
which  has  brought  me  into  this  danger  ! "  Scarcely  had  she 
spoken,  when  a  stiffness  seized  her  limbs ;  and  little  by  little  she 
took  on  the  appearance  of  a  laurel  tree.     Apollo  embraced  the 


140  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

branches,  and  lavished  kisses  on  the  wood.  The  branches  shrank 
from  his  Hps.  "  Since  thou  canst  not  be  my  wife,"  said  he,  "  thou 
shalt  assuredly  be  my  tree.  I  will  wear  thee  for  my  crown.  I 
will  decorate  with  thee  my  harp  and  my  quiver.  When  the 
Roman  conquerors  conduct  the  triumphal  pomp  to  the  Capitol, 
thou  shalt  be  woven  into  wreaths  for  their  brows.  And,  as  eternal 
youth  is  mine,  thou  also  shalt  be  always  green,  and  thy  leaf  know 
no  decay."  The  laurel  tree  bowed  its  head  in  grateful  acknowl- 
edgment. 

The  deHcious  humor  of  Lowell's  extravaganza  upon  the  story 
amply  justifies  the  following  citation  :  — 

Phoebus,  sitting  one  day  in  a  laurel  tree's  shade, 

Was  reminded  of  Daphne,  of  whom  it  was  made, 

For  the  god  being  one  day  too  warm  in  his  wooing. 

She  took  to  the  tree  to  escape  his  pursuing; 

Be  the  cause  what  it  might,  from  his  offers  she  shrunk, 

And,  Ginevra-like,  shut  herself  up  in  a  trunk; 

And,  though  'twas  a  step  into  which  he  had  driven  her, 

He  somehow  or  other  had  never  forgiven  her; 

Her  memory  he  nursed  as  a  kind  of  a  tonic, 

Something  bitter  to  chew  when  he'd  play  the  Byronic, 

And  I  can't  count  the  obstinate  nymphs  that  he  brought  over 

By  a  strange  kind  of  smile  he  put  on  when  he  thought  of  her. 

"My  case  is  like  Dido's,"  he  sometimes  remarked; 

"  When  I  last  saw  my  love,  she  was  fairly  embarked 

In  a  laurel,  as  she  thought  —  but  (ah,  how  Fate  mocks !) 

She  has  found  it  by  this  time  a  very  bad  box; 

Let  hunters  from  me  take  this  saw  when  they  need  it, — 

You're  not  always  sure -of  your  game  when  you've  treed  it. 

Just  conceive  such  a  change  taking  place  in  one's  mistress! 

What  romance  would  be  left?  —  who  can  flatter  or  kiss  trees? 

And,  for  mercy's  sake,  how  could  one  keep  up  a  dialogue 

With  a  dull  wooden  thing  that  will  live  and  will  die  a  log, — 

Not  to  say  that  the  thought  would  forever  intrude 

That  you've  less  chance  to  win  her  the  more  she  is  wood? 

Ah !    it  went  to  my  heart,  and  the  memory  still  grieves, 

To  see  those  loved  graces  all  taking  their  leaves; 

Those  charms  beyond  speech,  so  enchanting  but  now. 

As  they  left  me  forever,  each  making  its  bough ! 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.     141 

If  her  tongue  had  a  tang  sometimes  more  than  was  right, 
Her  new  bark  is  worse  than  ten  times  her  old  bite."* 

§  86.  Cljrtie."^ —  In  the  story  of  Clytie  the  conditions  are  reversed. 
She  was  a  water-nymph  and  in  love  with  Apollo,  who  made  her  no 
return.  So  she  pined  away,  sitting  all  day  long  upon  the  cold 
ground,  with  her  unbound  tresses  streaming  over  her  shoulders. 
Nine  days  she  sat  and  tasted  neither  food  nor  drink,  her  own  tears 
and  the  chilly  dew  her  only  sustenance.  She  gazed  on  the  sun 
when  he  rose ;  and  as  he  passed  through  his  daily  course  to  his 
setting,  she  saw  no  other  object,  —  her  eyes  fixed  constantly 
on  him.  At  last,  they  say,  her  limbs  took  root  in  the  ground, 
and  her  face  became  a  flower,  turning  on  its  stem  to  follow  the 
journeying  sun. 

In  the  following  lines,  Thomas  Moore  uses  the  flower  as  an 
emblem  of  constancy  :  — 

The  heart  that  has  truly  loved  never  forgets, 

But  as  truly  loves  on  to  the  close; 
As  the  sunflower  turns  on  her  god  when  he  sets 

The  same  look  that  she  turned  when  he  rose. 


6.   Myths  of  Diana. 

§  87.  In  company  with  her  radiant  brother,  we  find  Diana  sub- 
duing Tityus  and  the  Python  and  assisting  in  the  punishment  of 
Niobe.  The  speedy  transformation 
of  Daphne  has  been  attributed  to 
this  goddess,  the  champion  of  maid- 
enhood. According  to  some,  it  was 
she,  too,  that  changed  Callisto  into 
a  bear,  when  for  love  of  Jupiter  that 
nymph  deserted  the  huntress-band. 
Numerous  are  the  myths  that  celebrate  the  severity  of  the  goddess 
of  the  unerring  bow  toward  those  who  offended  her.     How  she 

1  From  the  Fable  for  Critics.  '  Ovid,  Metam.  4 :  256-270. 


142  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

served  Agamemnon  for  slaying  one  of  her  hinds  is  told  in  the  story 
of  Troy ;  *  how  she  punished  QLneus  for  omitting  a  sacrifice  to 
her  is  narrated  in  the  episode  of  the  Calydonian  hunt.^  Similar 
attributes  of  the  goddess  are  exemplified  in  the  myths  of  Are- 
thusa,  Actaeon,  and  Orion.  It  is  only  when  she  is  identified  with 
Selene,  the  peaceful  moonlight,  that  we  perceive  a  softer  side  of 
character,  such  as  that  displayed  in  her  relations  with  Endymion. 

§  88,  The  Flight  of  Arethusa.^ — A  woodland  nymph  of  Ehs 
was  this  Arethusa ;  she  delighted  not  in  her  comeliness,  but  in  the 
joys  of  the  chase.  One  day,  returning  from  the  wood,  heated  with 
exercise,  she  descended  to  a  stream  silently  flowing,  so  clear  that 
you  might  count  the  pebbles  on  the  bottom.  She  laid  aside  her 
garments;  but  while  she  sported  in  the  water,  she. heard  an  indis- 
tinct murmur  rising  as  out  of  the  depths  of  the  stream.  She  made 
haste  to  reach  the  nearest  bank.  A  voice  followed  her,  "Why 
flyest  thou,  Arethusa?  Alphelis  am  I,  the  god  of  this  stream." 
The  nymph  ran,  the  god  pursued.  Arethusa,  at  last  exhausted, 
cried  for  help  to  Diana,  who,  hearing,  wrapped  her  votary  in  a 
thick  cloud.  Perplexed,  the  river-god  still  sought  the  trembling 
maiden.  But  a  cold  sweat  came  over  her.  In  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell,  she  had  become  a  fountain.  Alpheiis  attempted  then 
to  mingle  his  stream  with  hers.  But  the  Cynthian  queen  cleft  the 
ground ;  and  Arethusa,  still  endeavoring  to  escape,  plunged  into 
the  abyss,  and  passing  through  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  came  out 
in  Sicily,  still  followed  by  the  passionate  river-god. 

In  the  following  version  of  the  pursuit,*  Arethusa  was  already  a 
river  when  Alpheiis  espied  her. 

Arethusa  arose 

From  her  couch  of  snows 
In  the  Acroceraunian  mountains,  — 

From  cloud  and  from  crag, 

With  many  a  jag, 
Shepherding  her  bright  fountains, 

1  }  167.  2  ^  1^8. 

8  Ovid,  Metam.  5 :  585-641.  ^  Shelley's  Arethusa. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN. 


143 


She  leapt  down  the  rocks, 
With  her  rainbow  locks 

Streaming  among  the  streams;  — 
Her  steps  paved  with  green 
The  downward  ravine 

Which  slopes  to  the  western  gleams : 
And  gliding  and  springing 
She  went,  ever  singing, 

In  murmurs  as  soft  as  sleep; 

The  Earth  seemed  to  love  her. 
And  Heaven  smiled  above  her, 

As  she  lingered  towards  the  deep. 


Then  Alpheus  bold, 
On  his  glacier  cold, 
With  his  trident  the  mountain  strook 
And  opened  a  chasm 
In  the  rocks;  — with  the  spasm 
All  Erymanthus  shook. 

And  the  black  south  wind 
It  concealed  behind 
The  urns  of  the  silent  snow, 

And  earthquake  and  thunder 
Did  rend  in  sunder 
The  bars  of  the  springs  below; 
The  beard  antl  the  hair 
Of  the  River-god  were 

Seen  through  the  torrent's  sweep, 
As  he  followed  the  light 
Of  the  fleet  nymph's  flight 
To  the  brink  of  the  Dorian  deep. 


"  Oh,  save  me  !     Oh,  guide  me ! 
And  bid  the  deep  hide  me. 

For  he  grasps  me  now  by  the  hair ! " 
The  loud  Ocean  heard, 
To  its  blue  depth  stirred, 

And  divided  at  her  prayer; 
And  under  the  water 
The  Earth's  white  daughter 

Fled  like  a  sunny  beam; 


144  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Behind  her  descended 

Her  billows  unblended 
With  the  brackish  Dorian  stream :  " 

Like  a  gloomy  stain 

On  the  emerald  main, 
Alpheus  rushed  behind, — 

As  an  eagle  pursuing 

A  dove  to  its  ruin 
Down  the  streams  of  the  cloudy  wind. 

Under  the  bowers 

Where  the  Ocean  Powers 
Sit  on  their  pearled  thrones, 

Through  the  coral  woods 

Of  the  weltering  floods, 
Over  heaps  of  unvalued  stones; 

Through  the  dim  Ijeams 

Which  amid  the  streams 
Weave  a  network  of  colored  light; 

And  under  the  caves, 

Where  the  shadowy  waves 
Are  as  green  as  the  forest's  night: 

Outspeeding  the  shark. 

And  the  sword-fish  dark, 
Under  the  ocean  foam. 

And  up  through  the  rifts 

Of  the  mountain  clifts 
They  past  to  their  Dorian  home. 

And  now  from  their  fountains 

In  Enna's  mountains, 
Down  one  vale  where  the  morning  basks. 

Like  friends  once  parted 

Grown  single-hearted. 
They  ply  their  watery  tasks. 

At  sunrise  they  leap 

From  their  cradles  steep 
In  the  cave  of  the  shelving  hill; 

At  noontide  they  flow 

Through  the  woods  below 
And  the  meadows  of  Asphodel; 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      145 

And  at  night  they  sleep 

In  the  rocking  deep 
Beneath  the  Ortygian  shore;  — 

Like  spirits  that  lie 

In  the  azure  sky 
When  they  love  but  live  no  more. 

§  89.  The  Fate  of  Actaeon.'  —  Diana's  severity  toward  young 
Actjeon,  grandson  of  Cadmus  whose  kindred  fell  under  the  curse 
of  Mars,  is  thus  nafrated. 

One  day,  having  repaired  to  a  valley  enclosed  by  cypresses  and 
pines  where  gushed  a  fountain  of  sparkling  water,  the  chaste  Diana 
handed  her  javelin,  her  quiver,  and  her  bow  to  one  nymph,  her 
robe  to  another,  while  a  third  unbound  the  sandals  from  her  feet. 
Then  Crocale,  the  most  skilful  of  them,  arranged  her  hair,  and 
Nephele,  Hyale,  and  the  rest  drew  water  in  capacious  urns.  While 
the  huntress-queen  was  thus  employed  in  the  labors  of  the  toilet, 
Actaeon,  the  son  of  Autonoe  and  Aristreus,  having  quitted  his  com- 
panions of  the  chase,  and  rambling  without  any  especial  object, 
came  to  the  place,  led  thither  by  his  destiny.  As  he  presented 
himself  at  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  the  nymphs,  seeing  a  man, 
screamed  and  rushed  towards  the  goddess  to  hide  her  with  their 
bodies.  But  she  was  taller  than  the  rest,  and  overtopped  them 
all  by  a  head.  Such  a  color  as  tinges  the  clouds  at  sunset  or  at 
dawn  came  over  the  countenance  of  Diana  thus  taken  by  surprise. 
Surrounded  as  she  was  by  her  nymphs,  she  yet  turned  half  away, 
and  sought  with  a  sudden  impulse  for  her  arrows.  As  they  were 
not  at  hand,  she  dashed  the  water  into  the  face  of  the  intruder, 
saying,  "  Now  go  and  tell,  if  you  can,  that  you  have  seen  Diana 
unapparelled."  Immediately  a  pair  of  branching  stag's  horns 
grew  out  of  the  huntsman's  head,  his  neck  gained  in  length,  his 
ears  grew  sharp-pointed,  his  hands  became  feet,  his  arms,  his  long 
legs,  and  his  body  were  covered  with  a  hairy  spotted  hide.  Fear 
took  the  place  of  his  former  boldness,  and  the  hero  fled.  What 
should  he  do?  —  go  home  to  the  palace,  or  lie  hid  in  the  woods? 

1  Ovid,  Mciam.  3 :  138-252. 


146  CLASSIC  MYTHS  JN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

While  he  hesitated  his  dogs  saw  him.  Over  rocks  and  cliffs, 
through  mountain  gorges  that  seemed  impracticable,  he  fled,  and 
they  followed.  The  air  resounded  with  the  bark  of  the  dogs. 
Presently  one  fastened  on  his  back,  another  seized  his  shoulder ; 
the  rest  of  the  pack  came  up  and  buried  their  teeth  in  his  flesh. 
His  friends  and  fellow-huntsmen  cheered  on  the  dogs,  and  looking 
everywhere  for  Actaeon,  called  on  him  to  join  the  sport.     At  the 


sound  of  his  name,  he  turned  his  head,  and  heard  them  regret 
that  he  should  be  away.  He  earnestly  wished  he  was.  But  Diana 
had  no  pity  for  him,  nor  was  her  anger  appeased  till  the  dogs  had 
torn  his  Hfe  out. 

§  90.  The  Fortunes  and  Death  of  Orion.  —  Orion,  the  son  of 
Neptune,  was  a  giant  and  a  mighty  hunter,  whose  prowess  and 
manly  favor  gained  for  him  the  rare  good-will  of  Diana. 

It  is  related  that  he  loved  Merope,  the  daughter  of  CEnopion, 
king  of  Chios,  and  sought  her  in  marriage.  He  cleared  the  island 
of  wild  beasts,  and  brought  the  spoils  of  the  chase  as  presents  to 
his  beloved ;  but  as  CEnopion  constantly  deferred  his  consent, 
Orion  attempted  to  gain  possession  of  the  maiden  by  violence. 
Her  father,  incensed  at  this  conduct,  made  Orion  drunk,  deprived 
him  of  his  sight,  and  cast  him  out  on  the  seashore.     The  blinded 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      147 

hero,  instructed  by  an  oracle  to  seek  the  rays  of  morning,  fol- 
lowed the  sound  of  a  Cyclops'  hammer  till  he  reached  Lemnos, 
where  Vulcan,  taking  pity  on  him,  gave  him  Cedalion,  one  of  his 
men,  to  be  his  guide  to  the  abode  of  the  sun.  Placing  Cedalion 
on  his  shoulders,  Orion  proceeded  to  the  east,  and  there  meeting 
the  sun-god,  was  restored  to  sight  by  his  beam.' 

After  this  he  dwelt  as  a  hunter  with  the  queen  of  the  echoing 
chase ;  and  it  was  even  hinted  that  she  loved  him.  Her  brother, 
highly  displeased,  often  chid  her,  but  to  no  purpose.  One  day, 
therefore,  observing  Orion  as  he  waded  through  the  sea,  with  his 
head  just  above  the  water,  Apollo  pointed  out  the  black  object  to 
his  sister,  and  maintained  that  she  could  not  hit  it.  The  archer- 
goddess  discharged  a  shaft  with  fatal  aim  :  the  waves  rolled  the 
dead  body  of  Orion  to  the  land.  Then  bewailing  her  fatal  error  with 
many  tears,  Diana  placed  him  among  the  stars,  where  he  appears 
as  a  giant,  with  a  girdle,  sword,  lion's  skin,  and  club.  Sirius,  his 
dog,  follows  him,  and  the  Pleiads  fly  before  him.*  In  the  begin- 
ning of  winter,  all  through  the  night,  Orion  follows  the  chase 
across  the  heavens ;  but  with  dawn  he  sinks  toward  the  waters  of 
his  father  Neptune.  In  the  beginning  of  summer,  he  may  be  seen 
with  daybreak  in  the  eastern  sky,  where,  beloved  by  Aurora,  he 
remains  gradually  paling  before  the  light  of  day  till,  finally,  Diana, 
jealous  of  his  happiness,  draws  her  gentle  darts,  and  slays  him. 

§91.  The  Pleiads,''  who  still  fly  before  Orion  in  the  heavens, 
were  daughters  of  Atlas,  and  nymphs  of  Diana's  train.  One  day 
Orion  saw  them  in  Bceotia,  became  enamoured  of  them,  and  gave 
pursuit.  In  their  distress  they  prayed  to  the  gods  to  change  their 
form.  Jupiter,  accordingly,  turned  them  into  pigeons,  and  made 
them  a  constellation.  Though  their  number  was  seven,  only  six 
stars  are  visible ;  for  Electra,  it  is  said,  left  her  place  that  she 
might  not  behold  the  ruin  of  Troy,  which  had  been  founded  by 
her  son  Dardanus.     The  sight  had  such  an  effect  on  her  sisters 

1  ApK)llodorus,  I.  4,  \  3. 

2  Ovid,  Fasti,  5  :  537 ;  Iliad,  18  :  486,  and  22 :  29 ;  Odys.  5  :  121,  274. 

3  The  story  is  told  by  Hyginus  in  his  Fables,  and  in  his  Poetical  Astronomy. 


148 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


that  they  blanched,  and  have  been  pale  ever  since.     But  Electra 
became  a  comet ;    her  hair  floating  wildly  behind  her,  she  still 


inconsolably  ranges  the  expanse  of  heaven.     According  to  some, 
the  lost  Pleiad  is  Merope,  who  was  vested  with  mortality  in  con- 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      149 

sequence  of  her  marriage  with  the  mortal  Sisyphus,  king  of 
Corinth. 

Tennyson's  reference  to  the  Pleiads,  in  "  Locksley  Hall,"  is  of 
course  familiar  to  all  readers. 

§  92.  Endymion. — The  frequent  absence  of  Diana  from  her 
duties  in  heaven  is  said  to  have  awakened  suspicion  among  the  dei- 
ties of  Olympus,  who  doubted  whether  she  actually  occupied  these 
inter\'als  with  hunting.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the  satisfaction  with 
which  Venus,  who  so  often  had  been  reproached  by  Diana  with 
her  undue  fondness  of  beautiful  youths,  would  welcome  news  of  a 
corresponding  weakness  on  the  part  of  the  cold-hearted  and  ap- 
parently unyielding  huntress-queen.  And  such  satisfaction  Venus 
once  enjoyed,  if  we  may  trust  the  later  classical,  and  the  modern, 
poets  who  have  identified  Diana  with  Selene,  the  more  ancient 
goddess  of  the  moon. 

For  one  calm,  clear  night,  Selene  looked  down  upon  the  beauti- 
ful Endymion,  who  fed  his  flock  on  Mount  I^tmos ;  and  saw  him 
sleeping.  The  heart  of  the  goddess  was  unquestionably  warmed 
by  his  surpassing  beauty.  She  came  down  to  him ;  she  kissed 
him  ;  she  watched  over  him  while  he  slept.  She  visited  him 
again  and  again.  But  her  secret  could  not  long  be  hidden  from 
the  company  of  Olympus.  For  more  and  more  frequently  she 
was  absent  from  her  station  in  the  sky ;  and  toward  morning 
she  was  ever  paler  and  more  weary  with  her  watching.  When, 
finally,  her  love  was  discovered,  Jupiter  gave  Endymion,  who  had 
been  thus  honored,  a  choice  between  death  in  any  manner  that  was 
preferable,  or  perpetual  youth  united  with  perpetual  sleep.  En- 
dymion chose  the  latter.  He  still  sleeps  in  his  Carian  cave,  and 
still  the  mistress  of  the  moon  slips  from  her  nocturnal  course  to 
visit  him.  She  takes  care,  too,  that  his  fortunes  shall  not  suffer 
by  his  inactive  life  :  she  yields  his  flock  increase,  and  guards  his 
sheep  and  lambs  from  beasts  of  prey.' 

1  Aulhorities  are  Pansanias.  5,  i.  \  2-4;  Ovid,  Ars.  Am.  3:83;  Tristia,  2:299; 
Apollonius,  and  Apollodorus. 


150  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Keats,  whose  Endymion  journeys  on  a  mission  under  sea,  thus 
describes  a  meeting  of  the  goddess  and  her  lover  :  — 

On  gold  sand  impearled 
With  lily  shells  and  pebbles  milky  white, 
Poor  Cynthia  greeted  him,  and  soothed  her  light 
Against  his  pallid  face:    he  felt  the  charm 
To  breathlessness,  and  suddenly  a  warm 
Of  his  heart's  blood:    'twas  very  sweet;    he  stayed 
His  wandering  steps,  and  half-entranced  laid 
His  head  upon  a  tuft  of  straggling  weeds, 
To  taste  the  gentle  moon,  and  freshening  beads, 
Lashed  from  the  crystal  roof  by  fishes'  tails. 
And  so  he  kept,  until  the  rosy  veils. 
Mantling  the  east,  by  Aurora's  peering  hand 
Were  lifted  from  the  water's  breast,  and  fanned 
Into  sweet  air;    and  sobered  morning  came 
Meekly  through  billows :  —  when  like  taper-flame 
Left  sudden  by  a  dallying  breath  of  air. 
He  rose  in  silence,  and  once  more  'gan  fare 
Along  his  fated  way.^ 

7.   Myths  of  Venus. 

§  93.  Round  the  goddess  of  love  cluster  romances  of  her  own 
tender  passion,  of  the  affairs  of  the  winged  Cupid,  and  of  the 
loves  of  the  worshippers  at  her  shrine.  Of  the  affection  of  Venus 
for  Mars  and  of  her  relations  with  Anchises,^  the  father  of  ^neas, 
mention  is  elsewhere  made.  The  following  is  the  myth  of  Venus 
and  Adonis. 

Adonis."'^  —  The  sweetly  smiling  goddess,  playing  one  day  with 
her  boy  Cupid,  wounded  her  bosom  with  one  of  his  arrows. 
Before  the  wound  healed,  she  looked  upon  Adonis,  the  son  of 
Cinyras  and  Myrrha,  and  was  captivated  by  him.  She  no  longer 
took  any  interest  in  her  favorite  resorts,  —  Paphos,  and  Cnidos, 
and  Amathus,  rich  in  metals.     She  absented  herself  even  from 

1  From  the  Endymion,  Bk.  3.  2  ^s  167. 

8  Ovid,  Metam.  10  :  503-559;   708-739. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      151 


Olympus,  for  Adonis  was  dearer  to  her  than  heaven.  Him  she 
followed,  and  bore  him  company. 
She  who  loved  to  recline  in  the 
shade,  with  no  care  but  to  cultivate 
her  charms,  now  rambled  through 
the  woods  and  over  the  hills,  girt  like 
the  huntress  Diana.  She  chased 
game  that  is  safe  to  hunt,  but  kept 
clear  of  the  wolves  and  bears.  She 
charged  Adonis,  too,  to  beware  of 
dangerous  animals.  "  Be  brave 
toward  the  timid,"  she  would  say, 
"courage  against  the  courageous  is 
not  safe."  Having  thus,  on  one 
occasion,  warned  him,  she  mounted 
her  chariot  drawn  by  swans,  and 
drove  away  through  the  air.  But 
Adonis  was  too  noble  to  heed  such 
counsels.  The  dogs  had  roused  a 
wild  boar  from  his  lair ;  and  the 
youth  threw  his  spear,  and  wounded  the  animal  with  a  sidelong 
stroke.  The  beast  drew  out  the  weapon  with  his  jaws,  and  rush- 
ing after  Adonis,  buried  his  tusks  in  the  lad's  side,  and  stretched 
him  dying  upon  the  plain.  The  rest  of  the  story  is  thus  re- 
counted :  — 


THE  LAMENT  FOR  ADONIS.» 

.  .  .  Low  on  the  hills  is  lying  the  lovely  Adonis,  and  his  thigh  with  the  boar's 
lusk,  his  white  thigh  with  the  boar's  tusk  is  wounded;  and  sorrow  on  Cypris 
he  brings,  as  softly  he  breathes  his  life  away. 

His  dark  blood  drips  down  his  skin  of  snow,  beneath  his  brows  his  eyes 


1  From  an  elegy  intended  to  be  sung  at  one  of  the  spring  celebrations  in 
memory  of  Adonis.  Translated  from  Bion  by  Andrew  Lang.  Cypris,  CyfAerea,  and 
the  Paphian  refer  to  Venus.  See  Commentary.  This  elegy  is  also  translated  by 
Mrs.  Browning  and  by  Sir  Edwin  Arnold. 


152  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

wax  heavy  and  dim;  and  the  rose  flees  from  his  Up,  and  thereon  the  very  kiss 
is  dying,  the  kiss  that  Cypris  will  never  forego. 

.  .  .  She  hath  lost  her  lovely  lord,  with  him  she  hath  lost  her  sacred  beauty. 
Fair  was  the  form  of  Cypris  while  Adonis  was  living,  but  her  beauty  has  died 
with  Adonis !  Woe,  %voe  for  Cypris,  the  mountains  all  are  saying.  And  the 
oak-trees  answer,  Woe  for  Adonis !  And  the  rivers  bewail  the  sorrows  of 
Aphrodite,  and  the  wells  are  weeping  Adonis  on  the  mountains.  The  flowers 
flush  red  for  anguish,  and  Cytherea  through  all  the  mountain-knees,  through 
every  dell  doth  shrill  the  piteous  dirge : 

Woe,  woe  for  Cytherea,  he  hath  perished,  the  lovely  Adonis  ! 

.  .  .  When  she  saw,  when  she  marked  the  unstaunched  wound  of  Adonis, 
when  she  saw  the  bright  red  blood  about  his  languid  thigh,  she  cast  her  arms 
abroad,  and  moaned,  "Abide  with  me,  Adonis,  hapless  Adonis,  abide !  .  .  . 
Awake,  Adonis,  for  a  little  while,  and  kiss  me  yet  again,  the  lastest  kiss  !  . .  .  This 
kiss  will  I  treasure,  even  as  thyself,  Adonis,  since,  ah  ill-fated,  thou  art  fleeing 
me,  thou  art  fleeing  far,  Adonis,  and  art  faring  to  Acheron,  to  that  hateful  king 
and  cruel,  while  wretched  I  yet  live,  being  a  goddess,  and  may  not  follow 
thee !  Persephone,  take  thou  my  lover,  my  lord,  for  thyself  art  stronger  than 
I,  and  all  lovely  things  drift  down  to  thee.  But  I  am  ill-fated,  inconsolable 
is  my  anguish;  and  I  lament  mine  Adonis,  dead  to  me,  and  I  have  no  rest 
for  sorrow. 

"Thou  diest,  oh,  thrice-desired,  and  my  desire  hath  flown  away  as  a  dream  ! 
Nay,  widowed  is  Cytherea,  and  idle  are  the  Loves  along  the  halls !  With  thee 
has  the  girdle  of  my  beauty  perished.  For  why,  ah,  overbold,  didst  thou 
follow  the  chase,  and  being  so  fair,  why  wert  thou  thus  overhardy  to  fight 
with  beasts?  " 

So  Cypris  bewailed  her,  the  Loves  join  in  the  lament : 

Woe,  woe  for  Cytherea,  he  hath  perished,  the  lovely  Adonis  ! 

A  tear  the  Paphian  sheds  for  each  blood-drop  of  Adonis,  and  tears  and 
blood  on  the  earth  are  turned  to  flowers.  The  blood  brings  forth  the  rose; 
the  tears,  the  wind-flower. 

Woe,  woe  for  Adonis,  he  hath  perished,  the  lovely  Adonis  I 

.  .  .  Cease,  Cytherea,  from  thy  lamentations,  to-day  refrain  from  thy  dirges. 
Thou  must  again  bewail  him,  again  must  weep  for  him  another  year. 

§  94.  Cupid  and  Psyche.'  —  A  certain  king  and  queen  had  three 
daughters.  The  charms  of  the  two  elder  were  more  than  com- 
mon, but  the  beauty  of  the  youngest  was  such  that  the  poverty 
of  language   is  unable   to  express  its  praise.       In   fact,  Venus 

1  Apuleius,  Metam.  Golden  Ass,  4  :  28,  etc. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      153 

found  her  altars  deserted,  while  men  paid  their  vows  to  this 
virgin.  When  Psyche  passed,  the  people  sang  her  praises,  and 
strewed  her  way  with  chaplets  and  flowers. 

This  per\'ersion  of  homage  gave  great  offence  to  Venus,  who 
complained  that  Paris  might  just  as  well  not  have  yielded  her 
the  palm  of  beauty  over  Pallas  and  Juno,  if  a  mortal  were  thus  to 
usurp  her  honors.  Wherefore  she  called  Cupid,  and  pointing 
out  Psyche  to  him,  bade  him  infuse  into  the  bosom  of  that 
haughty  girl  a  passion  for  some  low,  unworthy  being. 

There  were,  in  Venus's  garden,  two  fountains,  —  one  of  sweet 
waters,  the  other  of  bitter.  Cupid  filled  two  amber  vases,  one 
from  each  fountain,  and  suspending  them  from  the  top  of  his 
quiver,  hastened  to  the  chamber  of  Psyche,  whom  he  found  asleep. 
He  shed  a  few  drops  from  the  bitter  fountain  over  her  lips,  though 
the  sight  of  her  almost  moved  him  to  pity  ;  and  then  he  touched 
her  side  with  the  point  of  his  arrow.  She  awoke,  and  opening 
her  eyes  upon  Cupid  (himself  invisible),  so  startled  him  that  in 
his  confusion  he  wounded  himself  with  his  arrow.  Heedless  of  his 
wound,  his  thought  now  was  to  repair  the  mischief  he  had  done. 
He  poured,  at  once,  the  waters  of  joy  over  her  silken  ringlets. 

But  Psyche,  henceforth  frowned  upon  by  Venus,  derived  no 
benefit  from  her  charms.  Her  two  elder  sisters  had  long  been 
married  to  princes ;  but  Psyche's  beauty  failed  to  awaken  love. 
Consetiuently  her  parents,  afraid  that  they  had  unwittingly  in- 
curred the  anger  of  the  gods,  consulted  the  oracle  of  Apollo. 
They  received  answer,  "The  virgin  is  destined  for  the  bride  of 
no  mortal  lover.  Her  husband  awaits  her  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  He  is  a  monster  whom  neither  gods  nor  men  can 
resist." 

This  dreadful  decree  of  the  oracle  filled  the  people  with  dis- 
may ;  but,  at  Psyche's  request,  preparations  for  her  fate  were 
made.  The  royal  maid  took  her  place  in  a  procession,  which 
more  resembled  a  funeral  than  a  nuptial  pomp,  and  with  her 
parents,  amid  the  lamentations  of  their  subjects,  ascended  the 
mountain,  where  she  was  left  alone. 


154  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

While  Psyche  stood  there,  panting  with  fear  and  with  eyes  full 
of  tears,  the  gentle  Zephyr  lifted  her  and,  with  an  easy  motion, 
bore  her  to  a  flowery  dale.  By  degrees  her  mind  became  com- 
posed, and  she  laid  herself  down  on  the  grassy  bank  to  sleep. 
When  she  awoke  refreshed  with  sleep,  she  beheld  near  by  a 
pleasant  grove  of  tall  and  stately  trees.  Entering,  she  discovered 
in  the  midst  a  fountain,  and  fast  by  a  palace  whose  august  front 
showed  that  it  was  not  the  work  of  mortal  hands,  but  the  happy 
retreat  of  some  god.  She  approached  the  building  and  entered. 
Every  object  she  met  filled  her  with  pleasure  and  amazement. 
Golden  pillars  supported  the  vaulted  roof,  and  the  walls  were 
enriched  with  carvings  and  paintings  that  represented  beasts  of 
the  chase  and  rural  scenes.  Other  apartments  were  filled  with 
still  other  beautiful  and  precious  productions  of  nature  and  art. 

While  her  eyes  were  thus  occupied,  the  voice  of  an  invisible  being 
addressed  her :  "  Sovereign  lady,  all  that  thou  beholdest  is  thine. 
We  whose  voices  thou  dost  hear  are  thy  servants.  Retire,  we  pray 
thee,  to  thy  chamber,  repose  on  thy  bed  of  down,  and  when  it 
may  please  thee  repair  to  the  bath.  Food  awaits  in  the  adjoin- 
ing alcove." 

After  repose  and  the  refreshment  of  the  bath,  Psyche  seated 
herself  in  the  alcove,  where,  without  any  visible  aid,  a  table  imme- 
diately presented  itself,  covered  with  delicacies  and  nectareous 
wines.  Her  ears,  too,  were  delighted  with  music  from  invisible 
performers. 

For  a  long  time  she  did  not  see  her  husband.  He  came  in  the 
hours  of  darkness,  and  fled  before  the  dawn  of  morning ;  but  his 
accents  were  full  of  love,  and  inspired  a  like  passion  in  her.  Often 
she  begged  him  to  stay  and  let  her  behold  him,  but  he  would  not 
consent.  "  Having  looked  upon  me,"  he  said,  "  mayhap  thou 
wouldst  fear,  mayhap  adore,  me ;  but  all  I  ask  of  thee  is  love.  I 
would  rather  thou  shouldst  love  me  as  an  equal  than  adore  me  as  a 
god."  This  reasoning  somewhat  quieted  Psyche  for  a  time.  But 
the  thought  of  her  parents  and  of  her  sisters,  left  in  ignorance  of 
her  fate,  preyed  on  her  mind  to  such  a  degree  that  at  last,  telling 


MYTHS  OF   THE  GREAT  DIVIXJTIES  OF  HEAVEN.     155 

her  distress  to  her  lord,  she  drew  from  him  an  unwiUing  consent 
that  her  sisters  should  be  brought  to  see  her. 

Zephyr,  promptly  obedient,  soon  brought  them  across  the 
mountain  down  to  their  sister's  valley.  They  embraced  her,  she 
returned  their  caresses,  and  then  committed  them  to  the  care  of 
her  attendant  voices,  who  should  refresh  them  in  her  bath  and 
at  her  table,  and  show  them  her  treasures.  The  view  of  these 
delights  caused  envy  to  enter  their  bosoms.  They  plied  their  for- 
tunate sister  with  questions  about  her  husband.  Psyche  replied 
that  he  was  a  beautiful  youth,  who  generally  spent  the  daytime  in 
hunting  upon  the  mountains.  The  sisters,  not  satisfied  with  this 
reply,  soon  made  her  confess  that  she  had  never  seen  him.  Then 
they  proceeded  to  fill  her  bosom  with  dark  suspicions.  Probably 
her  husband  was  a  dreadful  monster,  such  as  the  Pythian  oracle 
had  prophesied.  Probably  he  was  a  direful  serpent,  who  nourished 
her  now  to  devour  her  by  and  by.  They  advised  her  to  provide 
herself  against  the  night  with  a  lamp  and  a  sharp  knife,  told  her 
what  to  do  if  her  husband  turned  out  the  -monster  that  they  sur- 
mised, and,  so  saying,  departed. 

These  persuasions  Psyche  resisted  as  well  as  she  could,  but  they 
did  not  fail  to  have  their  effect  on  her  mind.  She  prepared  a 
lamp  and  a  sharp  knife,  and  hid  them  out  of  sight  of  her  husband. 
That  night,  when  he  had  fallen  into  his  first  sleep,  she  silently 
rose  and  uncovering  her  lamp  — 

Scarce  kept  back  a  cry 
At  what  she  saw;    for  there  before  her  lay 
The  very  Love  brighter  than  dawn  of  day; 
And  as  he  lay  there  smiling,  her  own  name 
His  gentle  lips  in  sleep  began  to  frame, 
And,  as  to  touck  her  face,  his  hand  did  move; 
O  then,  indeed,  her  faint  heart  swelled  for  love, 
And  she  began  to  sob,  and  tears  fell  fast 
Upon  the  bed.  —  But  as  she  turned  at  last 
To  quench  the  lamp,  there  happed  a  little  thing 
That  quenched  her  new  delight,  for  flickering 
The  treacherous  flame  cast  on  his  shoulder  fair 


156  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

A  burning  drop;    he  woke,  and  seeing  her  there 
The  meaning  of  that  sad  sight  knew  full  well, 
Nor  was  there  need  the  piteous  tale  to  tell.^ 

Without  a  word,  Ctipid  spread  his  white  wings,  and  flew  out  of 
window.  Psyche,  in  vain  endeavoring  to  follow,  fell  to  the  earth. 
For  but  an  instant  Cupid,  staying,  reproached  her  with  distrust  of 
him.  "  No  other  punishment  inflict  I  than  to  leave  thee  forever. 
Love  cannot  dwell  with  suspicion."     And  so  he  flew  away. 

When  Psyche  had  recovered  some  degree  of  composure,  she 
looked  around  her.  The  palace  and  gardens  had  vanished.  She 
found  herself  not  far  from  the  city  where  her  sisters  dwelt. 
Thither  she  repaired,  and  told  them  the  story  of  her  misfortunes, 
whereat  they  inwardly  rejoiced.  "  For  now,"  thought  they,  "  he 
will  perhaps  choose  one  of  us."  With  this  idea,  they  rose  early 
the  next  morning  and,  ascending  the  mountain,  each  called  upon 
Zephyr  to  receive  her  and  bear  her  to  his  lord,  then,  leaping  up, 
failed  of  the  support  of  Zephyr,  fell  down  the  precipice,  and  was 
dashed  to  pieces. 

Psyche,  meanwhile,  wandered  day  and  night,  without  food  or 
repose,  in  search  of  her  husband.  Finally  she  reached  a  temple 
of  Ceres,  where  she  won  the  favor  of  the  goddess  by  arranging  in 
due  order  the  heaps  of  mingled  grain  and  ears  and  the  carelessly 
scattered  harvest  implements  that  lay  there.  The  holy  Ceres 
then  counselled  her  to  submit  to  Venus,  to  try  humbly  to  win  her 
forgiveness,  and,  mayhap,  through  her  favor  regain  the  lover  that 
was  lost. 

Obeying  the  commands  of  Ceres,  Psyche  took  her  way  to  the 
temple  of  the  golden-crowned  Cypris.  That  goddess  received  her 
with  angry  countenance,  called  her  an  undutiful  and  faithless 
servant,  taunted  her  with  the  wound  given  to  her  husband,  and 
insisted  that  for  so  ill-favored  a  girl  there  was  no  way  of  meriting 
a  lover  save  by  dint  of  industry.  Thereupon  she  ordered  Psyche 
to  be  led  to  the  storehouse  of  the  temple,  where  was  laid  up  a 

1  William  Morris,  The  Story  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  in  The  Earthly  Paradise, 


MYTHS   OF  THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.      157 

great  quantity  of  wheat,  barley,  millet,  vetches,  beans,  and  lentils 
prepared  lor  food  for  her  pigeons,  and  gave  order,  "Take  and 
separate  all  these  grains,  putting  all  of  the  same  kind  in  a  parcel 
by  themselves,  —  and  see  that  thou  get  it  done  before  evening." 
This  said,  Venus  departed,  and  left  the  girl  to  her  task.  But  Psy- 
che, in  perfect  consternation  at  the  enormous  task,  sat  stupid  and 
silent,  nor  would  the  work  have  been  accomplished  had  not  Cupid 
stirred  up  the  ants  to  take  compassion  on  her.  They  separated 
the  pile,  sorting  each  kind  to  its  parcel,  and  vanishing  out  of 
sight  in  a  moment. 

At  the  approach  of  twilight,  Cytherea  returned  from  the  banquet 
of  the  gods,  breathing  odors  and  crowned  with  roses.  Seeing 
the  task  done,  she  promptly  exclaimed,  "  This  is  no  work  of  thine, 
wicked  one,  but  his,  whom  to  thine  own  and  his  misfortune  thou 
hast  enticed,"  —  threw  the  girl  a  piece  of  black  bread  for  her 
supper,  and  departed. 

Next  morning,  however,  the  goddess,  ordering  Psyche  to  be 
summoned,  commanded  her  to  fetch  a  sample  of  wool  gathered 
from  each  of  the  golden-shining  sheep  that  fed  beyond  a  neigh- 
boring river.  Obediently  the  princess  went  to  the  river-side,  pre- 
pared to  do  her  best  to  execute  the  command.  But  the  god 
of  that  stream  inspired  the  reeds  with  harmonious  murmurs  that 
dissuaded  her  from  venturing  among  the  golden  rams  while 
they  raged  under  the  influence  of  the  rising  sun.  Psyche,  observ- 
ing the  directions  of  the  compassionate  river-god,  crossed  when 
the  noontide  sun  had  driven  the  cattle  to  the  shade,  gathered 
the  woolly  gold  from  the  bushes  where  it  was  clinging,  and 
returned  to  Venus  with  her  arms  full  of  the  shining  fleece.  But, 
far  from  commending  her,  that  implacable  mistress  said,  "  I  know 
very  well  that  by  the  aid  of  another  thou  hast  done  this ;  not  yet 
am  I  assured  that  thou  hast  skill  to  be  of  use.  Here,  now,  take 
this  box  to  Proserpine,  and  say,  *  My  mistress  Venus  entreats  thee 
to  send  her  a  little  of  thy  beauty,  for  in  tending  her  sick  son  she 
hath  lost  some  of  her  own.'  " 

Psyche,  satisfied  that  her  destruction  was  at  hand,  doomed  as 


158  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

she  was  to  travel  afoot  to  Erebus,  thought  to  shorten  the  journey 
by  precipitating  herself,  at  once,  from  the  summit  of  a  tower. 
But  a  voice  from  the  tower,  restraining  her  from  this  raSh  purpose, 
explained  how  by  a  certain  cave  she  might  reach  the  realm  of 
Pluto ;  how  she  might  avoid  the  peril  of  the  road,  pass  by  Cer- 
berus, and  prevail  on  Charon  to  take  her  across  the  black  river 
and  bring  her  back  again.  The  voice,  also,  especially  cautioned  her 
against  prying  into  the  box  filled  with  the  beauty  of  Proserpine. 

So,  taking  heed  to  her  ways,  the  unfortunate  girl  travelled  safely 
to  the  kingdom  of  Pluto.  She  was  admitted  to  the  palace  of 
Proserpine,  where,  contenting  herself  with  plain  fare  instead  of  the 
delicious  banquet  that  was  offered  her,  she  delivered  her  message 
from  Venus.  Presently  the  box,  filled  with  the  precious  commod- 
ity, was  restored  to  her ;  and  glad  was  she  to  come  out  once  more 
into  the  light  of  day. 

But  having  got  so  far  successfully  through  her  dangerous  task, 
a  desire  seized  her  to  examine  the  contents  of  the  box,  and  to 
spread  the  least  bit  of  the  divine  beauty  on  her  cheeks  that  she 
might  appear  to  more  advantage  in  the  eyes  of  her  beloved 
husband. 

Therewith  down  by  the  wayside  did  she  sit 
And  turned  the  box  round,  long  regarding  it; 
But  at  the  last,  with  trembhng  hands,  undid 
The  clasp,  and  fearfully  raised  up  the  lid; 
But  what  was  there  she  saw  not,  for  her  head 
Fell  back,  and  nothing  she  remembered 
Of  all  her  life,  yet  nought  of  rest  she  had, 
The  hope  of  which  makes  hapless  mortals  glad; 
For  while  her  limbs  were  sunk  in  deadly  sleep 
Most  like  to  death,  over  her  heart  'gan  creep 
111  dreams;    so  that  for  fear  and  great  distress 
She  would  have  cried,  but  in  her  helplessness 
Could  open  not  her  mouth,  or  frame  a  word.^ 

But  Cupid,  now  recovered  from  his  wound,  slipped  through  a 
crack  in  the  window  of  his  chamber,  flew  to  the  spot  where  his 

1  William  Morris,  The  Earthly  Paradise. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.     159 

beloved  lay,  gathered  up  the  sleep  from  her  body  and  enclosed 
it  again  in  the  box;  then  waked  Psyche  with  the  touch  of  an 
arrow.  "  Again,"  said  he,  "  hast  thou  almost  perished  by  thy 
curiosity.  But  now  perform  the  task  imposed  upon  thee  by  my 
mother,  and  I  will  care  for  the  rest." 

Then  Cupid,  swift  as  lightning,  penetrating  the  heights  of 
heaven,  presented  himself  before  Jupiter  with  his  supplication. 
Jupiter  lent  a  favoring  ear,  and  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  lovers 
with  Venus.  Gaining  her  consent,  he  ordered  Mercury  to  convey 
Psyche  to  the  heavenly  abodes.  On  her  advent,  the  king  of  the 
immortals,  handing  her  a  cup  of  ambrosia,  said,  "  Drink  this.  Psy- 
che, and  be  immortal.  Thy  Cupid  shall  never  break  from  the  knot 
in  which  he  is  tied ;  these  nuptials  shall,  indeed,  be  perpetual." 

Thus  Psyche  was  at  last  united  to  Cupid ;  and  in  due  season  a 
daughter  was  born  to  them  whose  name  was  Pleasure. 

The  allegory  of  Cupid  and  Psyche  is  well  presented  in  the 
following  lines :  — 

They  wove  bright  fables  in  the  days  of  old, 

\Vhen  reason  borrowed  fancy's  painted  wings; 
When  truth's  clear  river  flowed  o'er  sands  of  gold. 

And  told  in  song  its  high  and  mystic  things! 
And  such  the  sweet  and  solemn  tale  of  her 

The  pilgrim-heart,  to  whom  a  dream  w.as  given, 
That  led  her  through  the  world,  —  Love's  worshipper, — 

To  seek  on  earth  for  him  whose  home  was  heaven! 

In  the  full  city,  —  by  the  haunted  fount, — 

Through  the  dim  grotto's  tracery  of  spars, — 
'Mid  the  pine  temples,  on  the  moonlit  mount. 

Where  silence  sits  to  listen  to  the  stars; 
In  the  deep  glade  where  dwells  the  brooding  dove. 

The  painted  valley,  and  the  scented  air, 
She  heard  far  echoes  of  the  voice  of  Love, 

And  found  his  footsteps'  traces  everywhere. 

But  never  more  they  met !    since  doubts  and  fears, 

Those  phantom-shapes  tliat  haunt  and  blight  the  earth, 

Had  come  'twixt  her,  a  child  of  sin  and  tears, 
And  that  bright  spirit  of  immortal  birth; 


160  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Until  her  pining  soul  and  weeping  eyes 
Had  learned  to  seek  him  only  in  the  skies; 
Till  wings  unto  the  weary  heart  were  given, 
And  she  became  Love's  angel  bride  in  heaven !  ^ 

The  story  of  Cupid  and  Psyche  first  appears  in  the  works  of 
Apuleius,  a  writer  of  the  second  century  of  our  era.  It  is  there- 
fore of  much  more  recent  date  than  most  of  the  classic  myths. 
To  this  fact  Keats  alludes  in  his  exquisite  Ode  to  Psyche. 

"  O  Goddess !    hear  these  tuneless  numbers,  wrung 
By  sweet  enforcement  and  remembrance  dear, 
And  pardon  that  thy  secrets  should  be  sung 

Even  into  thine  own  soft-conched  ear: 
Surely  I  dreamt  to-day,  or  did  I  see 

The  winged  Psyche  with  awakened  eyes? 
I  wandered  in  a  forest  thoughtlessly. 
And,  on  the  sudden,  fainting  with  surprise. 

Saw  two  fair  creatures,  couched  side  by  side 
In  deepest  grass,  beneath  the  whispering  roof 
Of  leaves  and  tumbled  blossoms,  where  there  ran 
A  brooklet,  scarce  espied ! 

"  'Mid  hushed,  cool-rooted  flowers,  fragrant-eyed, 
Blue,  silver-white,  and  budded  Tyrian, 
They  lay  calm-breathing  on  the  budded  grass; 
Their  arms  embraced,  and  their  pinions,  too; 
Their  lips  touched  not,  but  had  not  bade  adieu. 
As  if  disjointed  by  soft-handed  slumber, 
And  ready  still  past  kisses  to  outnumber 
At  tender  eye-dawn  of  Aurorean  love : 

The  winged  boy  I  knew: 
But  who  wast  thou,  O  happy,  happy  dove? 
His  Psyche  true ! 

"  O  latest  born  and  loveliest  vision  far 
Of  all  Olympus'  faded  hierarchy ! 
Fairer  than  Phcebe's  sapphire-regioned  star, 
Or  Vesper,  amorous  glowworm  of  the  sky; 

1  By  T.  K.  Harvey. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT  DIVINITIES   OF  HEAVEN.     161 

Fairer  than  these,  though  temple  thou  hast  none, 

Nor  altar  heaped  with  flowers; 
Nor  virgin-choir  to  make  delicious  moan 

Upon  the  midnight  hours;  . 

No  voice,  no  lute,  no  pipe,  no  incense  sweet 

From  chain-swung  censer  teeming; 

No  shrine,  no  grove,  no  oracle,  no  heat 

-Of  pale-mouthed  prophet  dreaming. 

"  O  brightest !    though  too  late  for  antique  vows, 

Too,  too  late  for  the  fond  believing  lyre, 
When  holy  were  the  haunted  forest  boughs, 

Holy  the  air,  the  water,  and  the  tire; 
Yet  even  in  these  days  so  far  retired 

From  happy  pieties,  thy  lucent  fans, 

Fluttering  among  the  faint  Olympians, 
I  see,  and  sing,  by  my  own  eyes  inspired. 
So  let  me  be  thy  choir,  and  make  a  moan 

Upon  the  midnight  hours; 
Thy  voice,  thy  lute,  thy  pipe,  thy  incense  sweet 

From  swinged  censer  teeming, 
Thy  shrine,  thy  grove,  thy  oracle,  thy  heat 

Of  pale-mouthed  prophet  dreaming. 

"  Yes,  I  will  be  thy  priest,  and  build  a  fane 

In  some  untrodden  region  of  my  mind. 
Where  branched  thoughts,  new  grown  with  pleasant  pain, 

Instead  of  pines  shall  murmur  in  the  wind : 
Far,  far  around  shall  those  dark-clustered  trees 

Fledge  the  wild-ridged  mountains  steep  by  steep; 
And  there  by  zephyrs,  streams,  and  birds  and  bees, 

The  moss-lain  Dryads  shall  be  lulled  to  sleep; 
And  in  the  midst  of  this  wide  quietness 
A  rosy  sanctuary  will  I  dress 
With  the  wreathed  trellis  of  a  working  brain. 

With  buds,  and  bells,  and  stars  without  a  name, 
With  all  the  gardener  Fancy  e'er  could  feign, 

WTio  breeding  flowers,  will  never  breed  the  same; 
And  there  shall  be  for  thee  all  soft  delights 

That  shadowy  thought  can  win, 
A  bright  torch,  and  a  casement  ope  at  night. 

To  let  the  warm  Love  in !  " 


162 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


§  95.  The  loves  of  the  devotees  of  Venus  are  as  the  sands  of 
Wthe  sea  for  number.  Below  are  given  the  fortunes  of  a  few  : 
Hippomenes,  Hero,  Pygmalion,  Pyramus,  and  Phaon.  The  favor 
of  the  goddess  toward  Paris,  who  awarded  her  the  palm  of 
beauty  in  preference  to  Juno  and  Minerva,  will  occupy  our 
attention  in  connection  with  the  story  of  the  Trojan  War.^ 

Atalanta's  Race.*  —  Atalanta,  the  daughter  of  Schceneus  of 
Boeotia,  had  been  warned  by  an  oracle  that  marriage  would  be 

fatal  to  her  happiness.  Consequently 
she  fled  the  society  of  men,  and  de- 
voted herself  to  the  sports  of  the  chase. 
Fair,  fearless,  swift  and  free  :  in  beauty 
and  in  desire  she  was  a  Cynthia,  —  of 
mortal  form,  and  with  a  woman's  heart. 
To  all  suitors  (for  she  had  many)  she 
made  answer :  "  I  will  be  the  prize  of 
him  only  who  shall  conquer  me  in  the 
race ;  but  death  must  be  the  penalty 
of  all  who  try  and  fail."  In  spite  of 
this  hard  condition  some  would  try. 
Of  one  such  race  Hippomenes  was  to 
be  judge.  It  was  his  thought,  at  first, 
that  these  suitors  risked  too  much  for 
a  wife.  But  when  he  saw  Atalanta  lay 
aside  her  robe  for  the  race,  he  changed 
his  mind,  and  began  to  svVell  with  envy 
of  those  that  seemed  likely  to  win. 

The  virgin  darted  forward.  As  she  ran  she  looked  more 
beautiful  than  ever.  The  breezes  gave  wings  to  her  feet ;  her 
hair  flew  over  her  shoulders,  and  the  gay  fringe  of  her  garment 
fluttered  behind  her.  A  ruddy  hue  tinged  the  whiteness  of  her 
skin,  such  as  a  crimson  curtain  casts  on  a  marble  wall.  Her  com- 
petitors were  distanced,  and  were  put  to  death  without  mercy. 
Hippomenes,  not  daunted  by  this  result,  fixed   his  eyes  on  the 

1  \  167.  2  Ovid,  Metam.  10;  560-680. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREA  T  DIVINITIES  OF  HEA  VEN.       163 

virgin,  and  said,  "  Why  boast  of  beating  those  laggards  ?  I  offer 
myself  for  the  contest."  Atalanta  looked  at  him  with  pity  in 
her  face,  and  hardly  knew  whether  she  would  rather  conquer 
so  goodly  a  youth  or  not.  While  she  hesitated,  the  spectators 
grew  impatient  for  the  contest,  and  her  father  prompted  her  to 
prepare.  Then  Hippomenes  addressed  a  prayer  to  Cypris : 
"  Help  me,  Venus,  for  thou  hast  impelled  me."  Venus  heard, 
and  was  propitious. 

She  gathered  three  golden  apples  from  the  garden  of  her  tem- 
ple, in  her  own  island  of  Cyprus,  and,  unseen  by  any,  gave  them 
to  Hippomenes,  telling  him  how  to  use  them.  Atalanta  and  her 
lover  were  ready.     The  signal  was  given. 

They  both  started;    he,  by  one  stride,  first, 
For  she  half  pitied  him  so  beautiful, 
Running  to  meet  his  death,  yet  was  resolved 
To  conquer:   soon  she  near'd  him,  and  he  felt 
The  rapid  and  repeated  gush  of  breath 
Behind  his  shoulder. 

From  his  hand  now  dropt 
A  golden  apple :   she  lookt  down  and  saw 
A  glitter  on  the  grass,  yet  on  she  ran. 
He  dropt  a  second ;    now  she  seem'd  to  stoop : 
He  dropt  a  third;    and  now  she  stoopt  indeed: 
Yet,  swifter  than  a  wren  picks  up  a  grain 
Of  millet,  rais'd  her  head:   it  was  too  late, 
Only  one  step,  only  one  breath,  too  late. 
Hippomenes  had  toucht  the  maple  goal 
With  but  tvvo  fingers,  leaning  pronely  forth. 
She  stood  in  mute  despair;    the  prize  was  won. 

Now  each  walkt  slowly  forward,  both  so  tired. 
And  both  alike  breathed  hard,  and  stopt  at  times. 
When  he  turn'd  round  to  her,  she  lowered  her  face 
Cover'd  with  blushes,  and  held  out  her  hand. 
The  golden  apple  in  it. 

"  Leave  me  now," 
Said  she,  "  I  must  walk  homeward." 

He  did  take 
The  apple  and  the  hand. 


164  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

"  Both  I  detain," 
Said  he,  "  the  other  two  I  dedicate 
To  the  two  Powers  that  soften  virgin  hearts, 
Eros  and  Aphrodite;    and  this  one 
To  her  who  ratifies  the  nuptial  vow." 
*  She  would  have  wept  to  see  her  father  weep; 

But  some  God  pitied  her,  and  purple  wings 
(What  God's  were  they?)  hovered  and  interposed.^ 

But  the  oracle  was  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  The  lovers,  full  of  their 
own  happiness,  after  all,  forgot  to  pay  due  honor  to  Aphrodite ; 
and  the  goddess  was  provoked  at  their  ingratitude.  She  caused 
them  to  give  offence  to  Cybele.  That  powerful  goddess  took 
from  them  their  human  form  :  the  huntress  heroine,  triumphing 
in  the  blood  of  her  lovers,  she  made  a  lioness ;  her  lord  and 
master  a  lion,  —  and  yoked  them  to  her  car,  where  they  are 
still  to  be  seen  in  all  representations,  in  statuary  or  painting,  of 
the  goddess  Cybele. 

§  96.  Hero  and  Leander.^  — 

On  Hellespont,  guilty  of  true  love's  blood, 
In  view  and  opposite  two  cities  stood, 
Sea-borderers,  disjoin'd  by  Neptune's  might; 
The  one  Abydos,  the  other  Sestos  hight. 
At  Sestos  Hero  dwelt;    Hero  the  fair, 
Whom  young  Apollo  courted  for  her  hair. 
And  offer'd  as  a  dower  his  burning  throne. 
Where  she  should  sit,  for  men  to  gaze  upon.  .  . . 

Some  say,  for  her  the  fairest  Cupid  pin'd. 
And,  looking  in  her  face,  was  strooken  blind. 
But  this  is  true :  so  like  was  one  the  other, 
As  he  imagined  Hero  was  his  mother; 
And  oftentimes  into  her  bosom  flew, 
About  her  naked  neck  his  bare  arms  threw, 
And  laid  his  childish  head  upon  her  breast. 
And,  with  still  panting  rockt,  there  took  his  rest. 

1  From  W.  S.  Lander's  Hippomenes  and  Atalanta. 

2  The  poetical  passages  are  from  Marlowe's  Hero  and  Leander,  First  Sestiad. 
Marlowe's  narrative  was  completed  by  Chapman.  Original  by  Musaeus  of 
Alexandria. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.       165 

In  Abydos  dwelt  the  manly  Leander,  who,  as  luck  would  have 
it,  bethought  himself  one  day  of  the  festival  of  Venus  in  Sestos, 
and  thither  fared  to  do  obeisance  to  the  goddess. 

On  this  feast-day,  —  O  cursed  day  and  hour !  — 

Went  Hero  thorough  Sestos,  from  her  tower 

To  Venus'  temple,  where  unhappily. 

As  after  chanc'd,  they  did  each  other  spy. 

So  fair  a  church  as  this  had  Venus  none; 

The  walls  were  of  discolored  jasper-stone,  .  .  . 

And  in  the  midst  a  silver  altar  stood : 

There  Hero,  sacrificing  turtle's  blood, 

Vail'd  to  the  ground,  veiling  her  eyelids  close; 

And  modestly  they  opened  as  she  rose: 

Thence  flew  Love's  arrow  with  the  golden  head; 

And  thus  Leander  was  enamoured. 

Stone-still  he  stood,  and  evermore  he  gaz'd, 

Till  with  the  fire,  that  from  his  countenance  blaz'd, 

Relenting  Hero's  gentle  heart  was  strook : 

Such  power  and  virtue  hath  an  amorous  look. 

It  lies  not  in  our  power  to  love  or  hate, 
For  will  in  us  is  overrul'd  by  fate. 
When  two  are  stript  long  e'er  the  course  begin, 
We  wish  that  one  should  lose,  the  other  win; 
And  one  especially  do  we  affect 
Of  two  gold  ingots,  like  in  each  respect: 
The  reason  no  man  knows;  let  it  suffice. 
What  we  behold  is  censur'd  by  our  eyes. 
Where  both  deliberate,  the  love  is  slight: 
Who  ever  lov'd,  that  lov'd  not  at  first  sight? 

He  kneel'd;   but  unto  her  devoutly  prayed: 
Chaste  Hero  to  herself  thus  softly  said, 
'Were  I  the  saint  he  worships,  I  would  hear  him'; 
And,  as  she  spake  those  words,  came  somewhat  near  him. 
He  started  up;   she  blush'd  as  one  asham'd; 
Wherewith  Leander  much  more  was  inflam'd. 
He  touch'd  her  hand;   in  touching  it  she  trembled: 
Love  deeply  grounded,  hardly  is  dissembled.  .  .  . 


166  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

So  they  conversed  by  touch  of  hands,  till  Leander,  plucking 
up  courage,  began  to  plead  with  words,  with  sighs  and  tears. 

These  arguments  he  us'd,  and  many  more; 

Wherewith  she  yielded,  that  was  won  before. 

Hero's  looks  yielded,  but  her  words  made  war : 

Women  are  won  when  they  begin  to  jar. 

Thus  having  swallow'd  Cupid's  golden  hook, 

The  more  she  striv'd,  the  deeper  was  she  strook: 

Yet,  evilly  feigning  anger,  strove  she  still, 

And  would  be  thought  to  grant  against  her  will. 

So  having  paus'd  awhile,  at  last  she  said, 

'  Who  taught  thee  rhetoric  to  deceive  a  maid  ? 

Ay  me !    such  words  as  these  should  I  abhor. 

And  yet  I  like  them  for  the  orator.' 

With  that  Leander  stoop'd  to  have  embrac'd    her. 

But  from  his  spreading  arms  away  she  cast  her. 

And  thus  bespake  him :  '  Gentle  youth,  forbear 

To  touch  the  sacred  garments  which  I  wear.'  .  .  . 

Then  she  told  him  of  the  turret  by  the  murmuring  sea  where 
all  day  long  she  tended  Venus'  swans  and  sparrows  :  — 

'Come  thither.'     As  she  spake  this,  her  tongue  tripp'd, 

For  unawares,  '  Come  thither,'  from  her  slipp'd; 

And  suddenly  her  former  colour  chang'd. 

And  here  and  there  her  eyes  through  anger  rang'd; 

And,  like  a  planet  moving  several  ways 

At  one  self  instant,  she,  poor  soul,  assays. 

Loving,  not  to  love  at  all,  and  every  part 

Strove  to  resist  the  motions  of  her  heart : 

And  hands  so  pure,  so  innocent,  nay,  such 

As  might  have  made  Heaven  stoop  to  have  a  touch. 

Did  she  uphold  to  Venus,  and  again 

Vow'd  spotless  chastity;   but  all  in  vain; 

Cupid  beats  down  her  prayers  with  his  wings.  .  .  . 

For  a  season  all  went  well.  Guided  by  a  torch  which  his 
mistress  reared  upon  the  tower,  he  was  wont  of  nights  to  swim 
the  strait,  that  he  might  enjoy  her  company.  But  one  night  a 
tempest  arose,  and  the  sea  was  rough ;  his  strength  failed,  and  he 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.       167 

was  drowned.  The  waves  bore  his  body  to  the  European  shore, 
where  Hero  became  aware  of  his  death,  and  in  her  despair  cast 
herself  into  the  sea  and  perished. 

A  picture  of  the  drowning  Leander  is  thus  described  by 
Keats  ^ :  — 

Come  hither  all  sweet  maidens  soberly, 

Down  looking  aye,  and  with  a  chasten'd  light, 
Hid  in  the  fringes  of  your  eyelids  white, 
And  meekly  let  your  fair  hands  joined  be, 
As  if  so  gentle  that  ye  could  not  see, 

Untouch'd,  a  victim  of  your  beauty  bright. 
Sinking  away  to  his  young  spirit's  night, 
Sinking  bewilder'd  'mid  the  dreary  sea. 
Tis  young  Leander  toiling  to  his  death. 

Nigh  swooning  he  doth  purse  his  weary  lips 
For  Hero's  cheek,  and  smiles  against  her  smile. 

O  horrid  dream !  see  how  his  body  dips 
Dead-heavy;   arms  and  shoulders  gleam  awhile; 
He's  gone ;    up  bubbles  all  his  amorous  breath ! 

§  97.  Pygmalion  and  the  Statue.^ —  Pygmalion  saw  so  much 
to  blame  in  women,  that  he  came  at  last  to  abhor  the  sex  and 
resolved  to  Uve  unmarried.  He  was  a  sculptor,  and  had  made 
with  wonderful  skill  a  statue  of  ivory,  so  beautiful  that  no  living 
woman  was  to  compare  with  it.  It  was  indeed  the  perfect  sem- 
blance of  a  maiden  that  seemed  to  be  alive,  and  that  was  pre- 
vented from  moving  only  by  modesty.  His  art  was  so  perfect 
that  it  concealed  itself,  and  its  product  looked  like  the  workman- 
ship of  nature.  Pygmalion  at  last  fell  in  love  with  his  counterfeit 
creation.  Oftentimes  he  laid  his  hand  upon  it  as  if  to  assure 
himself  whether  it  were  living  or  not,  and  could  not  even  then 
believe  that  it  was  only  ivory. 

The  festival  of  Venus  was  at  hand,  —  a  festival  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  at  Cyprus.  Victims  were  offered,  the  altars  smoked, 
and  the  odor  of  incense  filled  the  air.      When  Pygmalion  had 

1  Sonnet :   On  a  Picture  of  Leander. 

2  Ovid,  Metam.  10 :  243-297. 


168  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

performed  his  part  in  the  solemnities,  he  stood  before  the  altar 
and,  according  to  one  of  our  poets,  timidly  said  :  — 

"  O  Aphrodite,  kind  and  fair, 

That  what  thou  wilt  canst  give, 
Oh,  listen  to  a  sculptor's  prayer. 

And  bid  mine  image  live ! 
For  me  the  ivory  and  gold 

That  clothe  her  cedar  frame 
Are  beautiful,  indeed,  but  cold; 

Ah,  touch  them  with  thy  flame ! 
Oh,  bid  her  move  those  lips  of  rose,  • 

Bid  float  that  golden  hair, 
And  let  her  choose  me,  as  I  chose, 

This  fairest  of  the  fair ! 
And  then  an  altar  in  thy  court 

I'll  offer,  decked  with  gold; 
And  there  thy  servants  shall  resort, 

Thy  doves  be  bought  and  sold  !  "  ^ 

According  to  another  version  of  the  story,  he  said  not,  "  bid 
mine  image  live,"  but  "  one  like  my  ivory  virgin."  At  any  rate, 
with  such  a  prayer,  he  threw  incense  on  the  flame  of  the  altar. 
Whereupon  Venus,  as  an  omen  of  her  favor,  caused  the  flame  to 
shoot  up  thrice  a  fiery  point  into  the  air. 

When  Pygmalion  reached  his  home,  to  his  amazement  he  saw 
before  him  his  statue  garlanded  with  flowers. 

Yet  while  he  stood,  and  knew  not  what  to  do 
With  yearning,  a  strange  thrill  of  hope  there  came, 
A  shaft  of  new  desire  now  pierced  him  through. 
And  therewithal  a  soft  voice  called  his  name, 
And  when  he  turned,  with  eager  eyes  aflame. 
He  saw  betwixt  him  and  the  setting  sun 
The  lively  image  of  his  loved  one. 

He  trembled  at  the  sight,  for  though  her  eyes, 
Her  very  lips,  were  such  as  he  had  made, 
And  though  her  tresses  fell  but  in  such  guise 
As  he  had  wrought  them,  now  was  she  arrayed 

1  Andrew  Lang,  The  New  Pygmalion. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVIXITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      169 

In  that  fair  garment  that  the  priests  had  laid 
Upon  the  goddess  on  that  very  morn, 
Dyed  like  the  setting  sun  upon  the  com. 

Speechless  he  stood,  but  she  now  drew  anear, 
Simple  and  sweet  as  she  was  wont  to  be, 
And  once  again  her  silver  voice  rang  clear. 
Filling  his  soul  with  great  felicity, 
And  thus  she  spoke,  "  Wilt  thou  not  come  to  me, 

0  dear  companion  of  my  new  found  life, 
For  1  am  called  thy  lover  and  thy  wife?  ... 

"  My  sweet,"  she  said,  "  as  yet  I  am  not  wise, 
Or  stored  with  words  aright  the  tale  to  tell. 
But  listen :  when  I  opened  first  mine  eyes 

1  stood  within  the  niche  thou  knowest  well. 
And  from  my  hand  a  heavy  thing  there  fell 

Carved  like  these  flowers,  nor  could  I  see  things  clear. 
But  with  a  strange,  confused  noise  could  hear. 

"  At  last  mine  eyes  could  see  a  woman  fair. 
But  awful  as  this  round  white  moon  o'erhead, 
So  that  I  trembled  when  I  saw  her  there. 
For  with  my  life  was  bom  some  touch  of  dread, 
And  therewithal  I  heard  her  voice  that  said, 
'Come  down  and  learn  to  love  and  be  alive. 
For  thee,  a  well-prized  gift,  to-day  I  give.'"* 

A   fuller    account    of   Venus'    address    to    the    statue    is    the 
following :  — 

"  O  maiden,  in  mine  image  made ! 
O  grace  that  shouldst  endure ! 
While  temples  fall,  and  empires  fade, 

Immaculately  pure : 
Exchange  this  endless  life  of  art 

For  beauty  that  must  die, 
And  blossom  with  a  beating  heart 

Into  mortality ! 
Change,  golden  tresses  of  her  hair. 
To  gold  that  turns  to  gray; 

1  From  William  Morris,  Pygmalion  and  the  Image,  in  The  Earthly  Paradise. 


170  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Change,  silent  lips,  forever  fair. 

To  lips  that  have  their  day ! 
Oh,  perfect  arms,  grow  soft  with  life, 

Wax  warm,  ere  cold  ye  wane; 
Wake,  woman's  heart,  from  peace  to  strife, 

To  love,  to  joy,  to  pain !  "  ^ 

The  maiden  was  called  Galatea.  Venus  blessed  the  nuptials, 
and  from  the  union  Paphos  was  born,  by  whose  name  the  city, 
sacred  to  Venus,  is  known. 

§  98.  Pyramus  and  Thisbe.-  —  Pyramus  was  the  handsomest 
youth,  and  Thisbe  the  fairest  maiden,  in  Babylonia,  where  Semir- 
amis  reigned.  Their  parents  occupied  adjoining  houses.  Pro- 
pinquity brought  the  young  people  together,  and  acquaintance 
ripened  into  love.  They  would  gladly  have  married,  but  their 
parents  forbade.  One  thing,  however,  parents  could  not  forbid 
(for  Venus  and  Cupid  favored  the  match), —  that  love  should 
glow  with  equal  ardor  in  the  bosoms  of  both.  They  conversed 
by  signs  and  glances,  and  the  fire  burned  the  more  intensely  that 
it  was  covered.  In  the  wall  between  the  two  houses  there  was  a 
crack,  caused  by  some  fault  in  the  structure.  It  afforded  a  pas- 
sage to  the  voice ;  and  tender  messages  passed  back  and  forth 
through  the  gap.  When  night  came  and  they  must  say  farewell, 
the  lovers  pressed  their  lips  upon  the  wall,  she  on  her  side,  he 
on  his. 

One  morning,  when  Aurora  had  put  out  the  stars,  and  the  sun 
had  melted  the  frost  from  the  grass,  they  met  at  the  accustomed 
spot,  and  arranged  a  meeting  for  that  night,  at  a  well-known 
edifice,  standing  without  the  city's  bounds,  —  the  Tomb  of  Ninus. 
The  one  who  first  arrived  should  await  the  other  at  the  foot  of  a 
white  mulberry-tree,  near  a  cool  spring.  Evening  came.  Thisbe, 
arriving  first,  sat  alone  by  the  monument  in  the  dim  light  of  the 
evening.     Suddenly  she  descried  a  lioness,  her  jaws  reeking  with 

1  Andrew  Lang,  The  New  Pygmalion,  or  The  Statue's  Choice.  A  witty  and 
exquisite  bit  of  burlesque. 

2  Ovid.  Metam.  4 :  55-166. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.      171 

recent  slaughter,  approaching  the  fountain  to  slake  her  thirst. 
The  maiden  fled  at  the  sight,  dropping  her  veil  as  she  ran.  The 
lioness,  after  drinking  at  the  spring,  turned  toward  the  woods,  and, 
seeing  the  veil  on  the  ground,  tossed  and  rent  it  with  her  bloody 
mouth. 

Now  Pyramus  approached  the  place  of  meeting.  He  saw  in 
the  sand  the  footsteps  of  the  lion.  He  found  the  veil  all  rent 
and  bloody.  "  O,  hapless  girl,"  cried  he,  "  I  have  been  the  cause 
of  thy  death  ;  but  I  follow  thee  !  "  So  saying,  he  drew  his  sword 
and  plunged  it  into  his  heart.  The  blood  spurted  from  the 
wound,  and  tinged  the  white  mulberries  of  the  tree  all  red,  and, 
sinking  into  the  earth,  reached  the  roots,  so  that  the  sanguine 
hue  mounted  through  the  tnmk  to  the  fruit. 

By  this  time,  Thisbe,  still  trembling  with  fear,  yet  wishing  not 
to  disappoint  her  lover,  stepped  cautiously  forth,  looking  anxiously 
for  the  youth,  eager  to  tell  him  the  danger  she  had  escaped. 
When  she  came  to  the  spot  and  saw  the  changed  color  of  the 
mulberries,  she  doubted  whether  it  was  the  same  place.  While 
she  hesitated,  she  saw  the  form  of  her  lover  struggling  in  the 
agonies  of  death.  She  screamed  and  beat  her  breast,  she  em- 
braced the  lifeless  body,  poured  tears  into  its  wounds,  and 
imprinted  kisses  on  the  cold  lips.  "  O,  Pyramus,"  she  cried, 
"what  has  done  this?  It  is  thine  own  Thisbe  that  speaks."  At 
the  name  of  Thisbe  Pyramus  opened  his  eyes,  then  closed  them 
again.  She  saw  her  veil  stained  with  blood  and  the  scabbard 
empty  of  its  sword.  "  Thine  own  hand  has  slain  thee,  and  for  my 
sake,"  she  said.  "  I,  too,  can  be  brave  for  once,  and  my  love  is 
as  strong  as  thine.  But  ye,  unhappy  parents  of  us  both,  deny  us 
not  our  united  request.  As  love  and  death  have  joined  us,  let 
one  tomb  contain  us.  And  thou,  tree,  retain  the  marks  of 
slaughter.  Let  thy  berries  still  serve  for  memorials  of  our  blood." 
So  saying,  she  plunged  the  sword  into  her  breast.  The  two 
bodies  were  buried  in  one  sepulchre,  and  the  tree  henceforth 
produced  purple  berries. 

§  99.    Phaon  ferried  a  boat  between  Lesbos  and  Chios.     One 


172  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITEKATUKE. 

day  the  queen  of  Paphos  and  Amathus/  in  the  guise  of  an  ugly 
crone,  begged  a  passage,  which  was  so  good-naturedly  granted 
that,  in  recompense,  she  bestowed  on  the  ferryman  a  salve  pos- 
sessing magical  properties  of  youth  and  beauty.  As  a  conse- 
quence of  the  use  made  of  it  by  Phaon,  the  women  of  Lesbos 
went  wild  for  love  of  him.  None,  however,  admired  him  more 
than  the  poetess  Sappho,  who  addressed  to  him  some  of  her 
warmest  and  rarest  love-songs. 

§  loo.  Venus  did  not  fail  to  follow  with  her  vengeance  those 
who  dishonored  her  rites  or  defied  her  power.  The  youth  Hip- 
polytus  who,  eschewing  love,  preferred  Diana  to  her,  she  brought 
miserably  to  his  ruin  (§  157).  Polyphonte  she  transformed  into 
an  owl,  Arsinoe  into  a  stone,  and  Myrrha  into  a  myrtle-tree.^ 
Her  influence  in  the  main  was  of  mingled  bane  and  blessing ;  as 
in  the  cases  of  Helen,  CEnone,  Pasiphae,  Ariadne,  Procris,  Eri- 
phyle,  Laodamia,  and  others  whose  stories  are  elsewhere  told.^ 

8.   Mercury. 

§  loi.  Homer's  Hymn  to  Mercury. — Maia  bore  Mercury  at 
the  peep  of  day,  —  a  schemer  subtle  beyond  all  belief.  He 
began  playing  (wi  the  lyre  at  noon ;  for,  wandering  out  of  the 
lofty  cavern  of  Cyllene,  he  found  a  tortoise,  picked  it  up,  bored 
the  life  out  of  the  beast,  fitted  the  shell  with  bridge  and  reeds, 
and  accompanied  himself  therewith  as  he  sang  a  strain  of  unpre- 
meditated sweetness.  At  evening  of  the  same  day,  he  stole  the 
oxen  of  his  half-brother  Apollo  from  the  Pierian  mountains, 
where  they  were  grazing.  He  covered  their  hoofs  with  tama- 
risk twigs,  and,  still  further  to  deceive  the  pursuer,  drove  them 
backward  into  a  cave  at  Pylos.  There  rubbing  laurel  branches 
together,  he  made  fire,  and  sacrificed,  as  an  example  for  men  to 
follow,  two  heifers  to  the  twelve  gods  (himself  included).     Then 

1  §  93  and  Commentary. 

2  Murray,  Manual  of  Mythology,  p.  87 ;  Ovid,  Metam.  10  :  298-502. 
*  See  Index  and  Dictionary  for  sections. 


MYTHS  OF  THE   GREAT  DIVTNTTTES  OF  HEAVEN.      173 

home  he  went  and  slept,  innocent  as  a  new-born  child  !  To  his 
mother's  warning  that  Apollo  would  catch  and  punish  him,  this 
innocent  replied,  in  effect,  "  I  know  a  trick  better  than  that ! " 
And  when  the  puzzled  Apollo,  having  traced  the  knavery  to  this 
babe  in  swaddhng  clothes,  accused  him  of  it,  the  sweet  boy 
swore  a  great  oath  by  his  father's  head  that  he  stole  not  the 
cows,  nor  knew  even  what  cows  might  be,  for  he  had  only  that 
moment  heard  the  name  of  them.  Apollo  proceeded  to  trounce 
the  baby ;  with  scant  success,  however,  for  Mercury  persisted  in 
his  assumption  of  ignorance.  So  the  twain  appeared  before  their 
sire,  and  Apollo  entered  his  complaint :  he  had  not  seen  nor 
ever  dreamed  of  so  precocious  a  cattle-stealer,  liar,  and  full- 
fledged  knave  as  this  young  rascal.  To  all  of  which  Mercury 
responded  that  he  was,  on  the  contrary,  a  veracious  person,  but 
that  his  brother  Apollo  was  a  coward  to  bully  a  helpless  little  new- 
bom  thing  that  slept,  nor  ever  had  thought  of  '*'  hfting  "  cattle.  The 
wink  with  which  the  lad  of  Cyllene  accompanied  this  asseveration 
threw  Jupiter  into  uncontrollable  roars  of  laughter.  Consequently, 
the  quarrel  was  patched  up  :  Mercury  gave  Apollo  the  new-made 
lyre  ;  Apollo  presented  the  prodigy  with  a  glittering  whip-lash,  and 
installed  him  herdsman  of  his  oxen.  Nay  even,  when  Mercury 
had  sworn  by  sacred  Styx  no  more  to  try  his  cunning  in  theft 
upon  Apollo,  that  god  in  gratitude  invested  him  with  the  magic 
wand  of  wealth,  happiness,  and  dreams  (the  caduceus),  it  being 
understood,  however,  that  Mercury  should  indicate  the  future  only 
by  signs,  not  by  speech  or  song,  as  did  Apollo.  It  is  said  that 
the  god  of  gain  avenged  himself,  for  this  enforced  rectitude,  upon 
others  :  upon  Venus,  whose  girdle  he  purloined ;  upon  Neptune, 
whose  trident  he  filched  ;  upon  Vulcan,  whose  tongs  he  borrowed ; 
and  upon  Mars,  whose  sword  he  stole. 

The  most  famous  exploit  of  the  Messenger,  the  slaughter  of 
Argus,  has  already  been  narrated.' 

M  59. 


174 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    GREAT    DIVINITIES   OF    EARTH. 
MVTHS    OF   B.-\CCHUS. 

§  1 02.  Since  the  adventures  of  Ceres,  although  she  was  a  god- 
dess of  earth,  are  intimately  connected  with  the  life  of  the  under- 
world, they  will  be  related  in  the  sections  pertaining  to  Proserpine 
and  Pluto.    The  god  of  vernal  sap  and  vegetation,  of  the  gladness 

that  comes  of  youth  or 
of  wine,  the  gold  en - 
curled,  sleepy-eyed  Bac- 
chus, —  his  wanderings, 
and  the  fortunes  of  mor- 
tals brought  under  his 
influence :  Pentheus, 
Acetes,  Ariadne,  and  Mi- 
das, here  challenge  our 
attention. 

The  Wanderings  of 
Bacchus.  —  After  the 
death  of  Semele,'  Jove 
took  the  infant  Bacchus 
and  gave  him  in  charge 
to  the  Nysaean  nymphs, 
who  nourished  his  infancy  and  childhood,  and  for  their  care 
were  placed  by  Jupiter  as  the  Hyades,  among  the  stars.  An- 
other guardian  and  tutor  of  young  Bacchus  was  the  pot-bel- 
lied, jovial  Silenus,  son  of  Pan  and  a  nymph,  and  oldest  of  the 
Satyrs.     Silenus  was  probably  an  indulgent  preceptor.     He  was 

1  §  62. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  EARTH.       175 

generally  tipsy,  and  would  have  broken  his  neck  early  in  his 
career,  had  not  the  Satyrs  held  him  on  his  ass's  back  as  he  reeled 
along  in  the  train  of  his  pupil.  After  Bacchus  was  of  age,  he 
discovered  the  culture  of  the  vine  and  the  mode  of  extracting  its 
precious  juice  ;  but  Juno  struck  him  with  madness,  and  drove  him 
forth  a  wanderer  through  various  parts  of  the  earth.  In  Phrygia 
the  goddess  Rhea  cured  him  and  taught  him  her  religious  rites ; 
and  then  he  set  out  on  a  progress  through  Asia,  teaching  the 
people  the  cultivation  of  the  vine.     The  most  famous  part  of  his 


»i 


wanderings  is  his  expedition  to  India,  which  is  said  to  have  lasted 
several  years.  Returning  in  triumph,  he  undertook  to  introduce 
his  worship  into  Greece,  but  was  opposed  by  certain  princes 
who  dreaded  the  disorders  and  madness  it  brought  with  it.  Fi- 
nally he  approached  his  native  city  Thebes,  where  his  own 
cousin,  Pentheus,  son  of  Agave  and  grandson  of  Harmonia  and 
Cadmus,  was  king.  Pentheus,  however,  had  no  respect  for  the 
new  worship,  and  forbade  its  rites  to  be  performed.^  But  when 
it  was  known  that  Bacchus  was  advancing,  men  and  women,  young 
and  old,  poured  forth  to  meet  him  and  to  join  his  triumj)hal 
march. 

^  Ovid,  Metam.  3  :  511-733. 


176  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Fauns  with  youthful  Bacchus  follow;  Round  about  him  fair  Bacchantes, 

Ivy  crowns  that  brow,  supernal  Bearing  cymbals,  flutes  and  thyrses. 

As  the  forehead  of  Apollo,  Wild  from  Naxian  groves  or  Zante's 

And  possessing  youth  eternal.  Vineyards,  sing  delirious  verses.^ 

It  was  in  vain  Pentheus  remonstrated,  commanded,  and  threat- 
ened. His  nearest  friends  and  wisest  counsellors  begged  him  not 
to  oppose  the  god.  Their  remonstrances  only  made  him  the  more 
violent. 

§  103.  The  Story  of  Acetes.  —  Soon  the  attendants  returned 
who  had  been  despatched  to  seize  Bacchus.  They  had  suc- 
ceeded in  taking  one  of  the  Bacchanals  prisoner,  whom,  with 
his  hands  tied  behind  him,  they  brought  before  the  king.  Pen- 
theus, threatening  him  with  death,  commanded  him  to  tell  who 
he  was  and  what  these  new  rites  were  that  he  presumed  to 
celebrate. 

The  prisoner,  unterrified,  replied  that  he  was  Acetes  of  Maeonia ; 
that  his  parents,  being  poor,  had  left  him  their  fisherman's  trade, 
which  he  had  followed  till  he  had  acquired  the  pilot's  art  of  steer- 
ing his  course  by  the  stars.  It  once  happened  that  he  had  touched 
at  the  island  of  Dia,  and  had  sent  his  men  ashore  for  fresh  water. 
They  returned,  bringing  with  them  a  lad  of  delicate  appearance 
whom  they  had  found  asleep.  Judging  him  to  be  a  noble  youth, 
they  thought  to  detain  him  in  the  hope  of  liberal  ransom.  But 
Acetes  suspected  that  some  god  was  concealed  under  the  youth's 
exterior,  and  asked  pardon  for  the  violence  done.  Whereupon 
the  sailors,  enraged  by  their  lust  of  gain,  exclaimed,  "  Spare  thy 
prayers  for  us  !  "  and,  in  spite  of  the  resistance  offered  by  Acetes, 
thrust  the  captive  youth  on  board  and  set  sail. 

Then  Bacchus  (for  the  youth  was  indeed  he),  as  if  shaking 
off  his  drowsiness,  asked  what  the  trouble  was,  and  whither 
they,  were  carrying  him.  One  of  the  mariners  replied,  "  Fear 
nothing ;  tell  us  where  thou  wouldst  go,  and  we  will  convey  thee 
thither."     "  Naxos  is  my  home,"  said  Bacchus ;  "  take  me  there, 

1  Longfellow,  Drinking  Song. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  EARTH.       177 


and  ye  shall  be  well  rewarded."  They  promised  so  to  do ;  but, 
preventing  the  pilot  from  steering  toward  Naxos,  they  bore  away 
for  Kgypt,  where  they  might  sell  the  lad  into  slavery.  Soon  the 
god  looked  out  over  the  sea,  and  said  in  a  voice  of  weeping, 
"  Sailors,  these  are  not  the  shores  ye  promised  me ;  yonder 
island  is  not  my  home.  It  is  small  glory  ye  shall  gain  by 
cheating  a  poor  boy."  Acetes  wept  to  hear  him  ;  but  the  crew 
laughed  at  both  of  them,  and  sped  the  vessel  fast  over  the  sea. 
All  at  once  it  stopped,  in  mid  sea,  as  fast  as  if  it  were  fixed  on 
the  ground.  The  men,  astonished,  pulled  at  their  oars,  and  spread 
more  sail,  but  all  in  vain.  Ivy  twined  round  the  oars  and  clung 
to  the  sails,  with  heavy  clusters  of  berries.  A  vine,  laden  with 
grapes,  ran  up  the  mast  and  along  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  The 
sound  of  flutes  was  heard,  and  the  odor  of  fragrant  wine  spread 
all  around.  The  god  himself  had  a  chaplet  of  vine  leaves,  and 
bore  in  his  hand  a  spear  wreathed  with  ivy.  Tigers  crouched  at 
his  feet,  and  forms  of  lynxes  and  spotted  panthers  played  around 
him.  The  whole  crew  became  dolphins  and  swam  about  the  ship. 
Of  twenty  men  Acetes   alone  was   left.     "  Fear  not,"  said  the 

god ;   "  steer  towards   Naxos." 

The   pilot    obeyed,   and   when 

they  arrived  there,  kindled  the 

altars  and  celebrated   the  sacred   rites 

of  Bacchus. 

So  far  had  Acetes  advanced  in  his 
narrative,  when  Pentheus,  interrupting, 
ordered  him  off  to  his  death.  But  from 
this  fate  the  pilot,  rendered  invisible 
by  his  patron  deity,  was  straightway 
rescued. 

Meanwhile  the  mountain  Cithgeron 
seemed  alive  with  worshippers,  and  the 
cries  of  the  Bacchanals  resounded  on 
every  side.  Pentheus,  angered  by  the  noise,  penetrated  through 
the  wood,  and  reached  an  open  space  where  the   chief  scene 


178 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 


of  the  orgies  met  his  eyes.  At  the  same  moment  the  women 
saw  him,  among  them  his  mother,  Agave,  and  Autonoe  and  Ino, 
her  sisters.  Taking  him  for  a  wild  boar,  they  rushed  upon  him 
and  tore  him  to  pieces,  —  his  mother  shouting,  "  Victory  !  Vic- 
tory !  the  glory  is  ours  1  " 

So  the  worship  of  Bacchus  was  established  in  Greece. 

It  was  on  the  island  of  Naxos  that  Bacchus  aftenvard  found 
Ariadne,  —  the  daughter  of  Minos,  king  of  Crete,  —  who  had  been 
deserted  by  her  lover,  Theseus.  How  Bacchus  comforted  her  is 
related  in  another  section.^ 

Behold,  behold !    the  granite  gates  unclose, 
And  down  the  vales  a  lyric  people  flows; 
Dancing  to  music,  in  their  dance  they  fling 
Their  frantic  robes  to  every  wind  that  blows, 
And  deathless  praises  to  the  vine-god  sing. 


Nearer  they  press,  and  nearer  still  in  sight. 

Still  dancing  blithely  in  a  seemly  choir; 

Tossing  on  high  the  symbol  of  their  rit», 

The  cone-tipped  thyrsus  of  a  god's  desire; 

Nearer  they  come,  tall  damsels  flushed  and  fair, 

With  ivy  circling  their  abundant  hair; 

Onward,  with  even  pace,  in  stately  rows, 

With  eye  that  flashes,  and  with  cheek  that  glows, 

And  all  the  while  their  tribute-songs  they  bring, 

And  newer  glories  of  the  past  disclose. 

And  deathless  praises  to  the  vine-god  sing. 

1  $  154. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  GREAT  DIVINITIES  OF  EARTH.      179 

.  .  .  But  oh  I   within  the  heart  of  this  great  flight, 
Whose  ivory  arms  hold  up  the  golden  lyre? 
What  form  is  this  of  more  than  mortal  height? 
What  matchless  beauty,  what  inspired  ire ! 
The  brindled  panthers  know  the  prize  they  bear. 
And  harmonize  their  steps  with  stately  care; 
Bent  to  the  morning,  like  a  living  rose, 
The  immortal  splendor  of  his  face  he  shows. 
And  where  he  glances,  leaf  and  flower  and  wing 
Tremble  with  rapture,  stirred  in  their  repose. 
And  deathless  praises  to  the  vine-god  sing.^  .  .  . 

§  T04.  The  Choice  of  King  Midas.-  —  Once  Silenus,  having 
wandered  from  the  company  of  Bacchus  in  an  intoxicated  con- 
dition, was  found  by  some  peasants,  who 
carried  him  to  their  king,  Midas.  Midas 
entertained  him  royally,  and  on  the 
eleventh  day  restored  him  in  safety  to 
his  divine  pupil.  Whereupon  Bacchus 
offered  Midas  his  choice  of  a  reward. 
The  king  asked  that  whatever  he  might 
touch  should  be  changed  into  gold.  Bacchus  consented.  Midas 
hastened  to  put  his  new-acquired  power  to  the  test.  A  twig  of  an 
oak,  which  he  plucked  from  the  branch,  became  gold  in  his  hand. 
He  took  up  a  stone  ;  it  changed  to  gold.  He  touched  a  sod,  with 
the  same  result.  He  took  an  apple  from  the  tree  ;  you  would 
have  thought  he  had  robbed  the  garden  of  the  Hesperides.  He 
ordered  his  servants,  then,  to  set  an  excellent  meal  on  the  table. 
But,  to  his  dismay,  when  he  touched  bread,  it  hardened  in  his 
hand  ;  when  he  put  a  morsel  to  his  lips,  it  defied  his  teeth.  He 
took  a  glass  of  wine,  but  it  flowed  down  his  throat  like  melted  gold. 

He  strove  to  divest  himself  of  his  power ;  he  hated  the  gift 
he  had  lately  coveted.  He  raised  his  arms,  all  shining  with  gold, 
in  prayer  to  Bacchus,  begging  to  be  delivered  from  this  glittering 
destruction.     The  merciful  deity  heard,  and  sent  him  to  wash 

1  From  The  Praise  of  Dionysus,  by  Edmund  Gosse. 

2  Ovid,  Metam.  11 :  85-145. 


ISO  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

away  his  fault  and  its  punishment  in  the  fountain  head  of  the 
river  Pactolus.  Scarce  had  Midas  touched  the  waters,  before 
the  gold-creating  power  passed  into  them,  and  the  river  sands 
became  golden,  as  they  remain  to  this  day. 

Thenceforth  Midas,  hating  wealth  and  splendor,  dwelt  in  the 
country,  and  became  a  worshipper  of  Pan,  the  god  of  the  fields. 
But  that  he  had  not  gained  common  sense  is  shown  by  the  decis- 
ion that  he  delivered  somewhat  later  in  favor  of  Pan's  superiority, 
as  a  musician,  over  Apollo.^ 

1  See  f  83. 


FROM    THE  EARTH   TO    THE    UNDERWORLD. 


181 


CHAPTER    XII. 

FROM    THE    EARTH    TO    THE    UNDERWORLD. 
Myths  of  Ceres,  Pluto,  and  Proserpine. 

The  search  of  Ceres  for  Proserpine,  and  of  Orpheus  for  Eury- 
dice,  are  stories  pertaining  both  to  Earth  and  Hades. 

§  105.  The  Rape  of  Proserpine.*  —  When  the  giants  were 
imprisoned  by  Jupiter  under  Mount  ^tna,  Pluto  feared  lest  the 
shock  of  their  fall  might  expose  his  kingdom  to  the  light  of  day. 
Under  this  apprehension,  he  mounted  his  chariot,  drawn  by  black 
horses,  and  made  a  circuit  of  inspection  to  satisfy  himself  of  the 
extent  of  the  damage.  While  he  was  thus  engaged,  Venus,  who 
was  sitting  on  Mount  Eryx  playing  with  her  boy  Cupid,  espied 
him,  and  said,  "  My  son,  take  thy  darts  which  subdue  all,  even 
Jove  himself,  and  send  one  into  the  breast  of  yonder  dark  mon- 
arch, who  rules  the  realm  of  Tartarus.  Dost  thou  not  see  that 
even  in  heaven  some  despise  our  power?  Minerva  and  Diana 
defy  us ;  and  there  is  that  daughter  of  Ceres,  who  threatens  to 
follow  their  example.  Now,  if  thou  regardest  thine  own  interest 
or  mine,  join  these  two  in  one."  The  boy  selected  his  sharpest 
and  truest  arrow,  and  sped  it  right  to  the  heart  of  Pluto. 


1  Ovid,  Metam.  5  :  341-437. 


182  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

In  the  vale  of  Enna  is  a  lake  embowered  in  woods,  where 
Spring  reigns  perpetual.  Here  Proserpine  was  playing  with  her 
companions,  gathering  lilies  and  violets,  when  Pluto  saw  her,  loved 
her,  and  carried  her  off.  She  screamed  for  help  to  her  mother 
and  her  companions  ;  but  the  ravisher  urged  on  his  steeds,  and  out- 
distanced pursuit.  When  he  reached  the  river  Cyane,  it  opposed 
his  passage,  whereupon  he  struck  the  bank  with  his  trident,  and 
the  earth  opened  and  gave  him  a  passage  to  Tartarus. 

The  Wanderings  of  Ceres.'  —  Ceres  sought  her  daughter  all  the 
world  over.  Bright-haired  Aurora,  when  she  came  forth  in  the 
morning,  and  Hesperus,  when  he  led  out  the  stars  in  the  evening, 
found  her  still  busy  in  the  search.  At  length,  weary  and  sad,  she 
sat  down  upon  a  stone,  and  remained  nine  days  and  nights,  in 
the  open  air,  under  the  sunlight  and  moonlight  and  falling 
showers.  It  was  where  now  stands  the  city  of  Eleusis,  near  the 
home  of  an  old  man  named  Celeus.  His  little  girl,  pitying  the 
old  woman,  said  to  her,  "  Mother,"  —  and  the  name  was  sweet 
to  the  ears  of  Ceres,  —  "  why  sittest  thou  here  alone  upon  the 
rocks?"  The  old  man  begged  her  to  come  into  his  cottage. 
She  declined.  He  urged  her.  "  Go  in  peace,"  she  replied,  "  and 
be  happy  in  thy  daughter ;  I  have  lost  mine."  But  their  com- 
passion finally  prevailed.  Ceres  rose  from  the  stone  and  went 
with  them.  As  they  walked,  CeleUs  said  that  his  only  son  lay 
sick  of  a  fever.  The  goddess  stooped  and  gathered  some 
poppies.  Then,  entering  the  cottage,  where  all  was  in  distress, 
—  for  the  boy,  Triptolemus,  seemed  past  recovery,  —  she  restored 
the  child  to  life  and  health  with  a  kiss.  In  grateful  happi- 
ness the  family  spread  the  table,  and  put  upon  it  curds  and 
cream,  apples,  and  honey  in  the  comb.  While  they  ate,  Ceres 
mingled  poppy  juice  in  the  milk  of  the  boy.  When  night  came, 
she  arose  and,  taking  the  sleeping  boy,  moulded  his  limbs  with 
her  hands,  and  uttered  over  him  three  times  a  solemn  charm, 
then  went  and  laid  him  in  the  ashes.  His  mother,  who  had  been 
watching  what  her  guest  was  doing,  sprang  forward  with  a  cry 
1  Ovid,  Metam.  5 :  440,  642;  Apollodorus,  I.  5.  ^  2;  Hyginus,  Fab.  147. 


FROM    THE  EARTH   TO    THE    UNDERWORLD.  183 

and  snatched  the  child  from  the  fire.  Then  Ceres  assumed  her 
own  form,  and  a  divine  splendor  shone  all  around.  While  they 
were  overcome  with  astonishment,  she  said,  "  Mother,  thou  hast 
been  cruel  in  thy  fondness ;  for  I  would  have  made  thy  son 
immortal.  Nevertheless,  he  shall  be  great  and  useful.  He  shall 
teach  men  the  use  of  the  plough,  and  the  rewards  which  labor 
can  win  from  the  soil."  So  saying,  she  wrapped  a  cloud  about 
her,  and  mounting  her  chariot  rode  away. 

Ceres  continued  her  search  for  her  daughter,  till  at  length  she 
returned  to  Sicily,  whence  she  at  first  set  out,  and  stood  by  the 
banks  of  the  river  Cyane.  The  river  nymph  would  have  told 
the  goddess  all  she  had  witnessed,  but  dared  not,  for  fear  of 
Pluto  ;  so  she  ventured  merely  to  take  up  the  girdle  which  Proser- 
pine had  dropped  in  her  flight,  and  float  it  to  the  feet  of  the 
mother.  Ceres,  seeing  this,  laid  her  curse  on  the  innocent  earth 
in  which  her  daughter  had  disappeared.  Then  succeeded  drought 
and  famine,  flood  and  plague,  until,  at  last,  the  fountain  Arethusa 
made  intercession  for  the  land.  For  she  had  seen  that  it  opened 
only  unwillingly  to  the  might  of  Pluto ;  and  she  had  also,  in  her 
flight  from  AlphSUs  through  the  lower  regions  of  the  earth,  beheld 
the  missing  Proserpine.  She  said  that  the  daughter  of  Ceres 
seemed  sad,  but  no  longer  showed  alarm  in  her  countenance. 
Her  look  was  such 
as  became  a  queen, 
—  the  queen  of  Ere- 
bus ;  the  powerful 
bride  of  the  monarch 
of  the  realms  of  the 
dead. 

When  Ceres  heard 
this,  she  stood  a  while 
like  one  stupefied; 
then  she  implored  Jupiter  to  interfere  to  procure  the  restitution 
of  her  daughter.  Jupiter  consented  on  condition  that  Proserpine 
should  not  during  her  stay  in  the  lower  world  have  taken  any 


184  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

food ;  otherwise,  the  Fates  forbade  her  release.  Accordingly, 
Mercury  was  sent,  accompanied  by  Spring,  to  demand  Proserpine 
of  Pluto.  The  wily  monarch  consented ;  but  alas  !  the  maiden 
had  taken  a  pomegranate  which  Pluto  offered  her,  and  had 
sucked  the  sweet  pulp  from  a  few  of  the  seeds.  A  compromise, 
however,  was  effected  by  which  she  was  to  pass  half  the  time 
with  her  mother,  and  the  rest  with  the  lord  of  Hades. 

§  io6.  Triptolemus  and  the  Eleusinian  Mysteries.  —  Ceres, 
pacified  with  this  arrangement,  restored  the  earth  to  her  favor. 
Now  she  remembered,  also,  Celeus  and  his  family,  and  her  prom- 
ise to  his  infant  son  Triptolemus.  She  taught  the  boy  the  use 
of  the  plough,  and  how  to  sow  the  seed.  She  took  him  in  her 
chariot,  drawn  by  winged  dragons,  through  all  the  countries  of 
the  earth  ;  and  under  her  guidance  he  imparted  to  mankind  valu- 
able grains,  and  the  knowledge  of  agriculture.  After  his  return, 
Triptolemus  built  a  temple  to  Ceres  in  Eleusis,  and  established 
the  worship  of  the  goddess,  under  the  name  of  the  Eleusinian 
mysteries,  which,  in  the  splendor  and  solemnity  of  their  observ- 
ance, surpassed  all  other  religious  celebrations  among  the  Greeks. 


"  Sacred  Goddess,  Mother  Earth, 

Thou  from  whose  immortal  bosom, 
Gods,  and  men,  and  beasts,  have  birth, 

Leaf  and  blade,  and  bud  and  blossom, 
Breathe  thine  influence  most  divine 
On  thine  own  child,  Proserpine. 


FROM   THE  EARTH    TO    THE    UNDERWORLD. 


185 


"If  with  mists  of  evening  dew 

Thou  dost  nourish  these  young  flowers 

Till  they  grow,  in  scent  and  hue, 
Fairest  children  of  the  hours. 

Breathe  thine  influence  most  divine 

On  thine  own  child,  Proserpine."  ^ 

§  107.  Orpheus  and  Eurydice.'  —  Of  mortals  who  have  visited 
Hades  and  returned,  none  has  a  sweeter  or  sadder  history  than 
Orpheus,  son  of  Apollo  and  the  Muse  Calliope.  Presented  by 
his  father  with  a  lyre  and  taught  to  play  upon  it,  he  became  the 
most  famous  of  musicians ;  and  not  only  his  fellow-mortals  but 
even  the  wild  beasts  were  softened  by  his  strains.  The  very 
trees  and  rocks  were  sensible  to  the  charm.  And  so  also  was 
Eurydice,  —  whom  he  loved  and  won. 

Hymen  was  called  to  bless  with  his  presence  the  nuptials  of 
Orpheus  with  Eurydice,  but  he 
brought  no  happy  omens  with  him. 
His  torch  smoked  and  brought 
tears  into  the  eyes.  In  coinci- 
dence with  such  prognostics, 
Eurydice,  shortly  after  her  mar- 
riage, was  seen  by  the  shepherd 
Aristaeus,  who  was  struck  with 
her  beauty,  and  made  advances 
to  her.  In  flying  she  trod  upon 
a  snake  in  the  grass,  was  bitten 
in  the  foot,  and  died.  Orpheus 
sang  his  grief  to  all  who  breathed 
the  upper  air,  both  gods  and 
men,  and  finding  his  complaint 
of  no  avail,  resolved  to  seek  his 
wife  in  the  regions  of  the  dead.  He  descended  by  a  cave  situated 
on  the  side  of  the  promontory  of  Taenarus,  and  arrived  in  the 

1  P.  B.  Shelley:  Song  of  Proserpine,  while  gathering  flowers  on  the  plain 
of  Enna.  2  Ovid,  Metam.  10 :  1-77. 


186 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 


Stygian  realm.  He  passed  through  crowds  of  ghosts,  and  pre- 
sented himself  before  the  throne  of  Pluto  and  Proserpine.  Accom- 
panying his  words  with  the  lyre,  he  sang  his  petition  for  his  wife. 
Without  her  he  would  not  return.  In  such  tender  strains  he  sang 
that  the  very  ghosts  shed  tears.  Tantalus,  in  spite  of  his  thirst, 
stopped  for  a  moment  his  efforts  for  water,  Ixion's  wheel  stood 
still,  the  vulture  ceased  to  tear  the  giant's  liver,  the  daughters  of 


Danaiis  rested  nom  their  task  of  dravvuig  water  in  a  sieve, ^  and 
Sisyphus  sat  on  his  rock  to  listen."  Then  for  the  first  time,  it  is 
said,  the  cheeks  of  the  Furies  were  wet  with  tears.  Proserpine 
could  not  resist,  and  Pluto  himself  gave  way.  Eurydice  was  called. 
She  came  from  among  the  new-arrived  ghosts,  limping  with  her 
wounded  foot.  Orpheus  was  permitted  to  take  her  away  with 
him  on  condition  that  he  should  not  turn  round  to  look  at  her  till 
they  should  have  reached  the  upper  air.  Under  this  condition, 
they  proceeded  on  their  way  :  he  leading,  she  following.  Mind- 
ful of  his  promise,  without  let  or  hindrance  the  bard  passed 
through  the  horrors  of  hell.     All  Hades  held  its  breath. 


1  Commentary,  \  133. 


2  Commentary,  f  107. 


FROM   THE  EARTH    TO    THE    UNDERWORLD. 


187 


.  .  .     On  he  slept, 
And  Cerberus  held  agape  his  triple  jaws; 
On  stept  the  bard.     Ixion's  wheel  stood  still. 
Now,  past  all  peril,  free  was  his  return, 
And  now  was  hastening  into  upper  air 
Eurydice,  when  sudden  madness  seized 
The  incautious  lover;    pardonable  fault. 
If  they  below  could  pardon :    on  the  verge 
Of  light  he  stood,  and  on  Eurydice 
(Mindless  of  fate,  alas!    and  soul-subdued) 
Lookt  back. 

There,  Orpheus !   Orpheus !   there  was  all 
Thy  labour  shed,  there  burst  the  Dynast's  bond. 
And  thrice  arose  that  rumour  from  the  lake, 
"  Ah,   what !  "   she   cried,    "  what    madness 
hath  undone 
Me !   and,  ah,  wretched  I    thee,  my  Orpheus, 

too! 
For  lo !    the  cruel  Fates  recall  me  now; 
Chill  slumbers  press  my  swimming  eyes.  .  .  . 

Farewell ! 
Night  rolls  intense  around  me  as  I  spread 
My  helpless  arms  .  .  .  thine,  thine  no  more 

...  to  thee." 
She  spake,  and,  like  a  vapour,  into  air 
Flew,  nor  beheld  him  as  he  claspt  the  void 
And   sought   to   speak;    in  vain;    the   ferry- 
guard 

Now  would  not  row  him  o'er  the  lake  again. 
His  wife  twice  lost,  what  could  he?   whither  go? 
What  chant,  what  wailing,  move  the  Powers  of  Hell? 
Cold  in  the  Stygian  bark  and  lone  was  she. 

Beneath  a  rock  o'er  Strymon's  flood  on  high, 
Seven  months,  seven  long-continued  months,  'tis  said. 
He  breath'd  his  sorrows  in  a  desert  cave. 
And  sooth'd  the  tiger,  moved  the  oak,  with  song.^ 

The  Thracian  maidens  tried  their  best  to  captivate  him,  but  he 
repulsed  their  advances.     Finally,  excited  by  the  rites  of  Bacchus, 
1  From  W.  S.  Lander's  Orpheus  and  Eurydice  in  Dry  Sticks. 


1^ 

'^^ 

^P 

V^Jf  ' 

If 

CvMl 

llIK 

w% 

mKi 

Hot 

ioLk 

VrJ 

188  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  See  yonder  our  despiser  ! "  and  threw 
at  him  her  javehn.  The  weapon,  as  soon  as  it  came  within  the 
sound  of  his  lyre,  fell  harmless  at  his  feet :  so  also  the  stones 
that  they  threw  at  him.  But  the  women,  raising  a  scream,  drowned 
the  voice  of  the  music,  and  overwhelmed  him  with  their  missiles. 
Like  maniacs  they  tore  him  Hmb  from  limb  ;  then  cast  his  head  and 
lyre  into  the  river  Hebrus,  down  which  they  floated,  murmuring 
sad  music,  to  which  the  shores  responded.  The  Muses  buried  the 
fragments  of  his  body  at  Libethra,  where  the  nightingale  is  said 
to  sing  over  his  grave  more  sweetly  than  in  any  other  part  of 
Greece.  His  lyre  was  placed  by  Jupiter  among  the  stars ;  but 
the  shade  of  the  bard  passed  a  second  time  to  Tartarus,  and 
rejoined  Eurydice. 

The  superior  melody  of  the  nightingale's  song  over  the  grave 
of  Orpheus  is  alluded  to  by  Southey  in  his  Thalaba  :  — 

"Then  on  his  ear  what  sounds 
Of  harmony  arose ! 
Far  music  and  the  distance-mellowed  song 
From  bowers  of  merriment; 
The  waterfall  remote; 
The  murmuring  of  the  leafy  groves; 
The  single  nightingale 
Perched  in  the  rosier  by,  so  richly  toned, 
That  never  from  that  most  melodious  bird 
Singing  a  love-song  to  his  brooding  mate. 
Did  Thracian  shepherd  by  the  grave 
Of  Orpheus  hear  a  sweeter  melody. 
Though  there  the  spirit  of  the  sepulchre 
All  his  own  power  infuse,  to  swell 
The  incense  that  he  loves." 

Other  mortals  who  visited  the  Stygian  realm  and  returned  were 
Hercules,  Theseus,  Ulysses,  and  ^neas.' 

1  See  Index. 


MYTHS  OF  NEPTUNE,  RULER  OF  THE  WATERS.       189 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

MYTHS   OF    NEPTUNE,    RULER   OF   THE   WATERS. 

§  1 08.  Neptune  was  lord  both  of  salt  waters  and  of  fresh. 
The  myths  that  turn  on  his  life  as  lord  of  the  sea  illustrate  his 
defiant  invasions  of  lands  belonging  to  other  gods,  or  his  character 
as  earth-shaker  and  earth-protector.  Of  his  con- 
tests with  other  gods,  that  with  Minerva  for 
Athens  has  been  related.  He  contested  Corinth 
with  Helios,  Argos  with  Juno,  ^gina  with  Jove, 
Naxos  with  Bacchus,  and  Delphi  with 
Apollo.  That  he  did  not  always  make 
encroachments  in  person  upon  the  land 
that  he  desired  to  possess  or  to  punish, 
but  sent  some  monster  instead,  will  be 
seen  in  the  myth  of  Andromeda^  and 
in  the  following  story  of  Hesione,^  the 
daughter  of  Laomedon  of  Troy. 

Neptune  and  '.Apollo  had  fallen  under 
the  displeasure  of  Jupiter,  after  the  over- 
throw of  the  giants.  They  were  com- 
pelled, it  is  said,  to  resign  for  a  season 
their  respective  functions,  and  to  serve  Laomedon,  then  about 
to  build  the  city  of  Troy.  They  aided  the  king  in  erecting  the 
walls  of  the  city,  but  were  refused  the  wages  agreed  upon.  Justly 
offended,  Neptune  ravaged  the  land  by  floods,  and  sent  against 
it  a  sea- monster,  to  satiate  the  appetite  of  which  the  desperate 
Laomedon  was  driven  to  offer  his  daughter  Hesione.  But  Her- 
cules appeared  upon  the  scene,  killed  the  monster,  and  rescued 


\  m- 


5  Iliad  5:  649;  ApoUodorus  III.  12,  f  7. 


190  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 

the  maiden.  Neptune,  however,  nursed  his  wrath ;  and  it  was 
still  warm  when  the  Greeks  marched  against  Troy.^ 

§  109.  Of  a  hke  impetuous  and  ungovernable  temper  were  the 
sons  of  Neptune  by  mortal  mothers.  From  him  were  sprung  the 
savage  Lgestrygonians,  Orion,  the  Cyclops  Polyphemus,  the  giant 
Antaeus,  whom  Hercules  slew,  Procrustes,  and  many  another  re- 
doubtable being  whose  fortunes  are  elsewhere  recounted.^ 

As  earth-shaker,  the  ruler  of  the  deep  was  known  to  effect  con- 
vulsions of  nature  that  made  Pluto  leap  from  his  throne  lest  the 
firmament  of  the  underworld  might  be  falling  about  his  ears.  But 
as  god  of  the  streams  and  fountains,  Neptune  displayed  milder 
characteristics.  When  Amymone,  sent  by  her  father  Danaiis  to 
draw  water,  was  pursued  by  a  satyr,  Neptune  gave  ear  to  her  cry 
for  help,  despatched  the  satyr,  made  love  to  the  maiden,  and  boring 
the  earth  with  his  trident  called  forth  the  spring  that  still  bears 
the  Uanaid's  name.  He  loved  the  goddess  Ceres  also,  through 
whose  pastures  his  rivers  strayed ;  and  Arne  the  shepherdess, 
daughter  of  King  ^olus,  by  whom  he  became  the  forefather  of 
the  Boeotians.  His  children,  Pelias  and  Neleus,  by  the  princess 
Tyro,  whom  he  wooed  in  the  form  of  her  lover  Enipeus,  became 
keepers  of  horses — animals  especially  dear  to  Neptune.  Perhaps 
it  was  the  similarity  of  horse-taming  to  wave-taming  that  attracted 
the  god  to  these  quadrupeds ;  perhaps  it  was  because  they  in- 
creased in  beauty  and  speed  on  the  pastures  watered  by  his 
streams.  It  is  said,  indeed,  that  the  first  and  fleetest  of  horses, 
Arion,  was  the  offspring  of  Neptune  and  Ceres,  or  of  Neptune 
and  a  Fury. 

§  1 10.  Pelops  and  Hippodamia.^  — To  Pelops,  brother  of  Niobe, 
Neptune  imparted  skill  in  training  and  driving  horses, — and  with 
good  effect.  For  it  happened  that  Pelops  fell  in  love  with  Hip- 
podamia,  daughter  of  (Enomaiis,  king  of  Ells  and  son  of  Mars, 
—  a  girl  of  whom  it  was  reported  that  none  could  win  her  save  by 
worsting  the  father  in  a  chariot  race,  and  that  none  might  fail  in 

»  }  167.  2  See  Index. 

«  Hyginus,  Fab.  84,  253;  Pindar,  Olymp.  i :  114. 


MYTHS  OF  NEPTUNE,  RULER  OF  THE   WATERS.       191 

that  race  and  come  off  alive.  Since  an  oracle,  too,  had  warned 
O^nomaiis  to  beware  of  the  future  husband  of  his  daughter,  he 
had  provided  himself  with  horses  whose  speed  was  like  the 
cyclone.  But  Pelops,  obtaining  from  Neptune  winged  steeds, 
entered  the  race  and  won  it,  —  whether  by  the  speed  of  his 
horses  or  by  the  aid  of  Hippodamia,  who,  it  is  said,  bribed  her 
father's  charioteer,  Myrtilus,  to  take  a  bolt  out  of  the  chariot 
of  CEnomaiis,  is  uncertain.  At  any  rate,  Pelops  married  Hip- 
podamia. He  was  so  injudicious,  however,  as  to  throw  Myrtilus 
into  the  sea ;  and  from  that  treachery  sprang  the  misfortunes  of 
the  house  of  Pelops.  For  Myrtilus,  dying,  cursed  the  murderer 
and  his  race.* 

1  For  the  house  of  Pelops  see  \  77,  and  CommentaTy. 


192 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    LESSER   DIVINITIES    OF    HEAVEN. 


§111.  The  tales  of  the  Stars  and  the  Winds,  lesser  powers  of 
the  celestial  regions,  are  closely  interwoven.  That  the  winds, 
which  sweep  heaven,  should  kiss  the  stars,  is  easy  to  understand. 
The  stories  of  Aurora,  and  of  Aura,  of  Phosphor,  and  of  Halcyone 
form,  therefore,  a  ready  sequence. 


§  112.  Cephalus  and  Procris.^  —  Aurora,  the  goddess  of  the 
dawn,  fell  in  love  with.  Cephalus,  a  young  huntsman.  She  stole 
him  away,  lavished  her  love  upon  him,  tried  to  content  him,  but 
in  vain.  He  cared  for  his  young  wife  Procris  more  than  for  the 
goddess.  Finally  Aurora  dismissed  him  in  displeasure,  saying, 
"  Go,  ungrateful  mortal,  keep  thy  wife ;  but  thou  shalt  one  day 
be  sorry  that  thou  didst  ever  see  her  again." 

Cephalus  returned,  and  was  as  happy  as  before  in  his  wife. 
She  being  a  favorite  of  Diana,  had  received  from  her,  for  the 
chase,  a  dog  and  a  javelin,  which  she  handed  over  to  her  husband. 
Of  the  dog  it  is  told  that  when  about  to  catch  the  swiftest  fox  in 
the  country,  he  was  changed  with  his  victim  into  stone.      For 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  8  :  661-685. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  LESSER  D I VI XI TIES  OF  HEAVEN.     193 

the  heavenly  powers  who  had  made  both,  and  rejoiced  in  the 
speed  of  both,  were  not  wiUing  that  either  should  conquer.  The 
javelin  was  destined  to  a  sad  office.  It  appears  that  Cephalus, 
when  weary  of  the  chase,  was  wont  to  stretch  himself  in  a  certain 
shady  nook  to  enjoy  the  breeze.  Sometimes  he  would  say  aloud, 
"  Come,  gentle  Aura,  sweet  goddess  of  the  breeze,  come  and  allay 
the  heat  that  burns  me."  Some  one,  foolishly  believing  that  he 
addressed  a  maiden,  told  the  secret  to  Procris.  Hoping  against 
hope,  she  stole  out  after  him  the  next  morning,  and  concealed 
herself  in  the  place  which  the  informer  had  indicated.  Cephalus, 
when  tired  with  sport,  stretched  himself  on  the  green  bank,  and 
summoned  fair  Aura,  as  usual.  Suddenly  he  heard,  or  thought 
he  heard,  a  sound  as  of  a  sob  in  the  bushes.  Supposing  it  to 
proceed  from  some  wild  animal,  he  threw  his  javelin  at  the  spot. 
A  cry  told  him  that  the  weapon  had  too  surely  met  its  mark.  He 
rushed  to  the  place,  and  raised  his  wounded  Procris  from  the 
earth.  She,  at  last,  opened  her  feeble  eyes,  and  forced  herself 
to  utter  these  words  :  "  I  implore  thee,  if  thou  hast  ever  loved 
me,  if  I  have  ever  deserved  kindness  at  thy  hands,  my  husband, 
grant  me  this  last  request ;  marry  not  that  odious  Breeze  !  "  So 
saying,  she  expired  in  her  lover's  arms. 

An  altogether  different  story  is  the  following  :  *  — 

Procris,  the  njinph,  had  wedded  Cephalus;  — 

He,  till  the  spring  had  warmed  to  slow-winged  days 

Heavy  with  June,  untired  and  amorous. 
Named  her  his  love;    but  now,  in  unknown  ways, 

His  heart  was  gone;    and  evermore  his  gaze 
Turned  from  her  own,  and  even  farther  ranged 

His  woodland  war;    while  she,  in  dull  amaze. 
Beholding  with  the  hours  her  husband  changed, 
Sighed  for  his  lost  caress,  by  some  hard  god  estranged. 

So,  on  a  day,  she  rose  and  found  him  not. 

.\lone,  with  wet,  sad  eye,  she  watched  the  shade 
Brighten  below  a  sofl-rayed  sun  that  shot 

Arrows  of  light  through  all  the  deep-leaved  glade ; 

1  Andrew  Lang,  The  Death  of  Procris. 


194  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Then,  with  weak  hands,  she  knotted  up  the  braid 
Of  her  brown  hair,  and  o'er  her  shoulders  cast 

Her  crimson  weed;    with  faltering  fingers  made 
Her  golden  girdle's  clasp  to  join,  and  past 
Down  to  the  trackless  wood,  full  pale  and  overcast. 

And  all  day  long  her  slight  spear  devious  flew. 
And  harmless  swerved  her  arrows  from  their  aim. 

For  ever,  as  the  ivory  bow  she  drew. 

Before  her  ran  the  still  unwounded  game. 

Then,  at  last,  a  hunter's  cry  there  came. 

And,  lo !    a  hart  that  panted  with  the  chase. 

Thereat  her  cheek  was  lightened  as  with  flame, 
And  swift  she  gat  her  to  a  leafy  place. 
Thinking,  "  I  yet  may  chance  unseen  to  see  his  face." 

Leaping  he  went,  this  hunter  Cephalus, 

But  in  his  hand  his  cornel  bow  he  bare, 
Supple  he  was,  round  limbed  and  vigorous. 

Fleet  as  his  dogs,  a  lean  Laconian  pair. 
He,  when  he  spied  the  brown  of  Procris'  hair 

Move  in  the  covert,  deeming  that  apart 
Some  fawn  lay  hidden,  loosed  an  arrow  there; 

Nor  cared  to  turn  and  seek  the  speeded  dart, 

Bounding  above  the  fern,  fast  following  up  the  hart. 

But  Procris  lay  among  the  white  wind-flowers, 
Shot  in  the  throat.     From  out  the  little  wound 

The  slow  blood  drained,  as  drops  in  autumn  showers 
Drip  from  the  leaves  upon  the  sodden  ground. 

None  saw  her  die  but  Lelaps,  the  swift  hound, 
That  watched  her  dumbly  with  a  wistful  fear, 

Till,  at  the  dawn,  the  horned  wood-men  found 
And  bore  her  gently  on  a  sylvan  bier. 
To  lie  beside  the  sea,  —  with  many  an  uncouth  tear. 

§  113.  The  son  of  Aurora  and  Cephalus  was  Phosphor,  the 
Star  of  Morning.  His  son  Ceyx,  king  of  Trachis  in  Thessaly,  had 
married  Halcyone,  daughter  of  ^ohis.^  Their  reign  was  happy 
until  the  brother  of  Ceyx  met  his  death.     The  direful  prodigies 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  n  :  583-748. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  TESSEJR  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.     195 


that  followed  this  event  made  Ceyx  feel  that  the  gods  were  hos- 
tile to  him.  He  thought  best  therefore  to  make  a  voyage  to  Claros 
in  Ionia,  to  consult  the  oracle  of  Apollo.  In  spite  of  his  wife's 
entreaties  (for  as  daughter  of  the  god  of  winds,  she  knew  how 
dreadful  a  thing  a  storm  at  sea  was),  Ceyx  set  sail.  He  was  ship- 
wrecked and  drowned.  His  last  prayer  was  that  the  waves  might 
bear  his  body  to  the  sight  of  Halcyone,  and  that  it  might  receive 
burial  at  her  hands. 

In  the  meanwhile  Halcyone  counted  the  days  till  her  husband's 
promised  return.  To  all  the  gods  she  offered  frequent  incense,  but 
more  than  all  to  Juno.  The  goddess,  at  last,  could  not  bear  to  be  fur- 
ther pleaded  with  for  one  already  dead.  Calling  Iris,  she  enjoined 
her  to  approach  the  drowsy  dwelling  of  Somnus,  and  bid  him  send 
a  vision  to  Halcyone,  in  the  form  of  Ceyx,  to  reveal  the  sad  event. 

The  Cave  of  Sleep.  —  Iris  puts  on  her  robe  of  many  colors,  and 
tinging  the  sky  with  her  bow,  seeks  the  cave  near  the  Cimmerian 
country,  which  is  the  abode  of  the  dull 
god,  Somnus.  Here  Phoebus  dare  not 
come.  Clouds  and  shadows  are  exhaled 
from  the  ground,  and  the  light  glimmers 
faintly.  The  cock  never  there  calls  aloud 
to  Aurora,  nor  watch-dog  nor  goose  dis- 
turbs the  silence.  No  wild  beast,  nor 
cattle,  nor  branch  moved  with  the  wind, 
nor  sound  of  human  conversation  breaks 
the  stillness.  From  the  bottom  of  the 
rock  the  river  Lethe  flows,  and  by  its 
murmur  invites  to  sleep.  Poppies  grow 
before  the  door  of  the  cave,  from  whose 
juices  Night  distils  slumbers,  which  she 
scatters  over  the  darkened  earth.  There  is  no  gate  to  creak  on 
its  hinges,  nor  any  watchman.  In  the  midst,  on  a  couch  of  black 
ebony,  adorned  with  black  plumes  and  black  curtains,  the  god 
reclines,  his  limbs  relaxed  in  sleep.  Around  him  lie  dreams, 
resembling  all  various  forms,  as  many  as  the  harvest  bears  stalks, 
or  the  forest  leaves,  or  the  seashore  sandgrains. 


196  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Brushing  away  the  dreams  that  hovered  around  her,  Iris  lit  up 
the  cave,  and  deUvered  her  message  to  the  god,  who,  scarce 
opening  his  eyes,  had  great  difficulty  in  shaking  himself  free  from 
himself. 

Then  Iris  hasted  away  from  the  drowsiness  creeping  over  her, 
and  returned  by  her  bow  as  she  had  come.  But  Somnus  called 
one  of  his  sons  —  Morpheus  —  the  most  expert  in  counterfeiting 
forms  of  men,  to  perform  the  command  of  Iris ;  then  laid  his 
head  on  his  pillow,  and  yielded  himself  again  to  grateful  repose. 

The  Halcyon  Birds.  —  Morpheus  flew,  on  silent  wings,  to  the 
Haemonian  city,  where  he  assumed  the  form  of  Ceyx.  Pale  like 
a  dead  man,  naked  and  dripping,  he  stood  before  the  couch  of 
the  wretched  wife,  and  told  her  that  the  winds  of  the  ^^gean  had 
sunk  his  ship ;  that  he  was  dead. 

Weeping  and  groaning,  Halcyone  sprang  from  sleep,  and,  with 
the  dawn,  hastening  to  the  seashore,  descried  an  indistinct  object 
washed  to  and  fro  by  the  waves.  As  it  floated  nearer,  she  recog- 
nized the  body  of  her  husband.  In  despair,  leaping  from  the 
mole,  she  was  changed  instantly  to  a  bird,  and  poured  forth  a 
song  of  grief  as  she  flew.  By  the  mercy  of  the  gods  Ceyx  was 
likewise  transformed.  For  seven  days  before  and  seven  days  after 
the  winter  solstice,  Jove  forbids  the  winds  to  blow.  Then  Halcyon 
broods  over  her  nest ;  then  the  way  is  safe  to  seafarers.  ^Eolus 
confines  the  winds  that  his  grandchildren  may  have  peace. 

§  1 14.  Aurora  and  Tithonus.'  —  Aurora  seems  frequently  to  have 
been  inspired  with  the  love  of  mortals.  Her  greatest  favorite,  and 
almost  her  latest,  was  Tithonus,  son  of  Laomedon,  king  of  Troy. 
She  stole  him  away,  and  prevailed  on  Jupiter  to  grant  him  immor- 
tality ;  but  forgetting  to  have  youth  joined  in  the  gift,  after  some 
time  she  began  to  discern,  to  her  great  mortification,  that  he  was 
growing  old.  When  his  hair  was  white  she  left  his  society; 
but  he  still  had  the  range  of  her  palace,  lived  on  ambrosial  food, 
and  was  clad  in  celestial  raiment.  In  time  he  lost  the  power  of 
using  his  limbs ;  and  then  she  shut  him  up  in  his  chamber,  whence 

1  Homeric  Hymn  to  Venus;  Horace,  Odes,  i :  22;  2:  16;  ApoUod.  III.  12.  ^"14. 


MYTHS  OF  THE  LESSER  DIVINITIES  OF  HEAVEN.    197 

his  feeble  voice  might  at  times  be  heard.  Finally  she  turned  him 
into  a  grasshopper.  The  following  is,  according  to  the  finest  of 
poetic  conceptions,  the  lament  of  the  white-haired  shadow  :  ^ 

"The  woods  decay,  the  woods  decay  and  fall- 
The  vapours  weep  their  burthen  to  the  ground, 
Man  comes  and  tills  the  field  and  lies  beneath, 
And  after  many  a  summer  dies  the  swan. 
Me  only  cruel  immortality 
Consumes:    I  wither  slowly  in  thine  arms, 
Here  at  the  quiet  limit  of  the  world, 
A  white-haired  shadow  roaming  like  a  dream 
The  ever  silent  spaces  of  the  East, 
Far-folded  mists,  and  gleaming  halls  of  morn. 

"  Alas !   for  this  gray  shadow,  once  a  man  — 
So  glorious  in  his  beauty  and  thy  choice. 
Who  madest  him  thy  chosen,  that  he  seem'd 
To  his  great  heart  none  other  than  a  God ! 
I  ask'd  thee,  '  Give  me  immortality.' 
Then  didst  thou  grant  mine  asking  with  a  smile. 
Like  wealthy  men  who  care  not  how  they  give; 
But  thy  strong  Hours  indignant  work'd  their  wills, 
And  beat  me  down  and  marr'd  and  wasted  me. 
And  tho'  they  could  not  end  me,  left  me  maim'd 
To  dwell  in  presence  of  immortal  youth, 
Immortal  age  beside  immortal  youth. 
And  all  I  was,  in  ashes.     Can  thy  love. 
Thy  beauty,  make  amends,  tho'  even  now, 
Qose  over  us,  the  silver  star,  thy  guide. 
Shines  in  those  tremulous  eyes  that  fill  with  tears 
To  hear  me?     Let  me  go;    take  back  thy  gift: 
Why  should  a  man  desire  in  any  way 
To  vary  from  the  kindly  race  of  men, 
Or  pass  beyond  the  goal  of  ordinance 
Where  all  should  pause,  as  is  most  meet  for  all? 

"A  soft  air  fans  the  cloud  apart;  there  comes 
A  glimpse  of  that  dark  world  where  I  was  bom. 
Once  more  the  old  mysterious  glimmer  steals 

1  Tennyson's  Tithonus. 


198      ■     CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

From  thy  pure  brows,  and  from  thy  shoulders  pure, 
And  bosom  beating  with  a  heart  renew'd. 
Thy  cheek  begins  to  redden  thro'  the  gloom, 
Thy  sweet  eyes  brighten  slowly  close  to  mine, 
Ere  yet  they  blind  the  stars,  and  the  wild  team 
Which  love  thee,  yearning  for  thy  yoke,  arise, 
And  shake  the  darkness  from  their  loosen'd  manes, 
And  beat  the  twilight  into  flakes  of  fire. 

"  Lo !    ever  thus  thou  growest  beautiful 
In  silence,  then  before  thine  answer  given 
Departest,  and  thy  tears  are  on  my  cheek. 

"  Why  wilt  thou  ever  scare  me  with  thy  tears. 
And  make  me  tremble  lest  a  saying  learnt 
In  days  far-off,  on  that  dark  earth,  be  true? 
'The  gods  themselves  cannot  recall  their  gifts.' 

"  Ay  m.e !    ay  me !    with  what  another  heart 
In  days  far-off,  and  with  what  other  eyes 
I  used  to  watch  —  if  I  be  he  that  watched  — 
The  lucid  outline  forming  round  thee;    saw 
The  dim  curls  kindle  into  sunny  rings; 
Changed  with  thy  mystic  change,  and  felt  my  blood 
Glow  with  the  glow  that  slowly  crimson'd  all 
Thy  presence  and  thy  portals,  while  I  lay, 
Mouth,  forehead,  eyelids,  growing  dewy-warm 
With  kisses  balmier  than  half- opening  buds 
Of  April,  and  could  hear  the  lips  that  kiss'd 
Whispering  I  knew  not  what  of  wild  and  sweet. 
Like  that  strange  song  I  heard  Apollo  sing. 
While  Ilion  like  a  mist  rose  into  towers. 

"  Yet  hold  me  not  forever  in  thine  East : 
How  can  my  nature  longer  mix  with  thine? 
Coldly  thy  rosy  shadows  bathe  me,  cold 
Are  all  thy  lights,  and  cold  my  wrinkled  feet 
Upon  thy  glimmering  thresholds,  when  the  steam 
Floats  up  from  those  dim  fields  about  the  homes 
Of  happy  men  that  have  the  power  to  die. 
And  grassy  barrows  of  the  happier  dead. 
Release  me,  and  restore  me  to  the  ground; 


MYTHS  OF  THE  LESSER  DIVINITIES  OF  HE  A  VEN.     199 

Thou  seest  all  things,  thou  wilt  see  my  grave : 
Thou  wilt  renew  thy  beauty  mom  by  morn; 
I  earth  in  earth  forget  these  empty  courts. 
And  thee  returning  on  thy  silver  wheels." 

§  115.  Memnon,  the  son  of  Aurora  and  Tithonus,  was  king  of 
the  Ethiopians.  He  went  with  warriors  to  assist  his  kindred  in 
the  Trojan  War,  and  was  received  by  King  Priam  with  honor. 
He  fought  bravely,  slew  Antilochus,  the  brave  son  of  Nestor,  and 
held  the  Greeks  at  bay,  until  Achilles  appeared.  Before  that  hero 
he  fell. 

Then  Aurora,  seeing  her  son's  fate,  directed  his  brothers,  the 
Winds,  to  convey  his  body  to  the  banks  of  the  river  .iisepus, 
in  Mysia.  In  the  evening,  Aurora,  accompanied  by  the  Hours 
and  the  Pleiads,  bewept  her  son.  Night  spread  the  heaven  with 
clouds ;  all  nature  mourned  for  the  offspring  of  the  Dawn.  The 
Ethiopians  raised  his  tomb  on  the  banks  of  the  stream,  in  the 
grove  of  the  Nymphs,  and  Jupiter  caused  the  sparks  and  cinders 
of  his  funeral  pile  to  be  turned  into  birds,  which,  dividing  into 
two  flocks,  fought  over  the  pile  till  they  fell  into  the  flame.  Every 
year  at  the  anniversary  of  his  death  they  celebrated  his  obsequies 
in  like  manner.  Aurora  remained  inconsolable.  The  dew-drops 
are  her  tears.* 

The  kinship  of  Memnon  to  the  Dawn  is  certified  even  after 
his  death.  On  the  banks  of  the  Nile  are  two  colossal  statues,  one 
of  which  is  called  Memnon's ;  and  it  was  said  that  when  the  first 
rays  of  morning  fell  upon  this  statue,  a  sound  like  the  snapping 
of  a  harp-string  issued  therefrom.^ 

"  So  to  the  sacred  Sun  in  Memnon's  fane 
Spontaneous  concords  choired  the  matin  strain; 
Touched  by  his  orient  beam  responsive  rings 
The  living  lyre  and  vibrates  all  its  strings; 
Accordant  aisles  the  tender  tones  prolong. 
And  holy  echoes  swell  the  adoring  song."  • 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  13 :  622,  etc.    Homer,  Od.  4 :  188 ;  11 :  52X    Pindar,  Pyth.  6 :  3a 
*  Pausanias,  I,  42,  §  a.  '  Dar\\-in's  Botanic  Garden. 


200  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

MYTHS   OF   THE    LESSER    DIVINITIES    OF    EARTH,   AND 
THE    UNDERWORLD. 

§  ii6.  Pan,  and  the  Personification  of  Nature.  —  It  was  a 
pleasing  trait  in  the  old  paganism  that  it  loved  to  trace  in  every 
operation  of  nature  the  agency  of  deity.  The  imagination  of 
the  Greeks  peopled  the  regions  of  earth  and  sea  with  divinities, 
to  whose  agency  it  attributed  the  phenomena  that  our  philosophy 
ascribes  to  the  operation  of  natural  law.  So  Pan,  the  god  of 
woods  and  fields,^  whose  name  signifies  in  Greek  all,  came  to  be 
considered  a  symbol  of  the  universe  and  a  personification  of 
Nature.     "  Universal  Pan,"  says  Milton  in  his  description  of  the 

creation  :  — 

"  Universal  Pan, 
Knit  with  the  Graces  and  the  Hours  in  dance, 
Led  on  the  eternal  Spring." 

Later,  Pan  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  representative  of  all  the 
Greek  gods,  and  of  paganism  itself.  Indeed,  according  to  an 
early  Christian  tradition,  when  the  heavenly  host  announced  to 
the  shepherds  the  birth  of  Christ,  a  deep  groan,  heard  through  the 
isles  of  Greece,  told  that  great  Pan  was  dead,  that  the  d)masty 
of  Olympus  was  dethroned,  and  the  several  deities  sent  wandering 
in  cold  and  darkness, 

"The  lonely  mountains  o'er, 
,  And  the  resounding  shore, 

A  voice  of  weeping  heard  and  loud  lament; 
From  haunted  spring  and  dale. 
Edged  with  poplar  pale. 
The  parting  Genius  is  with  sighing  sent; 

M47. 


LESSER  DIVLVITfES   OF  EARTH,   ETC.  201 

With  flower-enwoven  tresses  torn, 

The  nymphs  in  twilight  shade  of  tangled  thickets  mourn."  ^ 

Many  a  poet  has  lamented  the  change.  For  even  if  the  head 
did  profit,  for  a  time,  by  the  revolt  against  the  divine  prerogative  of 
nature,  it  is  more  than  possible  that  the  heart  lost  in  due  propor- 
tion. Indeed,  it  is  only  a  false  Christianity  that  fails  to  recognize 
God's  presence  in  the  birds  of  the  air  and  the  lilies  of  the  field  as 
well  as  in  man.     True  Christianity  is  not  selfish. 

His  sorrow  at  this  loss  of  imaginative  sympathy  among  the 
moderns,  Wordsworth  expresses  in  the  sonnet,  already  cited, 
beginning,  "  The  world  is  too  much  with  us."  ^  Schiller,  also,  by 
his  poem,  The  Gods  of  Greece,  has  immortalized  his  sorrow  for 
the  decadence  of  the  ancient  mythology.  It  was  this  poem  that 
provoked  the  well-known  reply  of  Elizabeth  Barrett  Browning, 
contained  in  "  The  Dead  Pan."  Her  argument  may  be  gathered 
from  the  following  stanzas  :  — 

"  By  your  beauty  which  confesses 
Some  chief  Beauty  conquering  you. 
By  our  grand  heroic  guesses 
Through  your  falsehood  at  the  True, 
We  will  weep  not!   earth  shall  roll 
Heir  to  each  god's  aureole, 

And  Pan  is  dead. 

"  Earth  outgrows  the  mythic  fancies 
Sung  beside  her  in  her  youth; 
And  those  debonaire  romances 
Sound  but  dull  beside  the  truth. 
Phcebus'  chariot  course  is  run ! 
Look  up,  poets,  to  the  sun ! 

Pan,  Pan  is  dead." 

True  enough  from  the  philosophical  point  of  view,  but  hardly 
from  the  poetic.  Phoebus'  chariot  course  shall  not  be  finished  so 
long  as  there  is  a  sun,  or  a  poet  to  gaze  upon  it.     And  that  Pan 

1  Milton,  Hymn  to  the  Nativity.  "  $  54- 


202 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


is  not  yet  dead,  but  alive  even  in  the  practical  atmosphere  of 
our  western  world,  the  exquisite  poem  here  appended  would 
indicate  :  — 

Just  where  the  Treasury's  marble  front  ^ 

Looks  over  Wall  Street's  mingled  nations, — 
Where  Jews  and  Gentiles  most  are  wont 

To  throng  for  trade  and  last  quotations, — 
Where,  hour  by  hour,  the  rates  of  gold 

Outrival,  in  the  ears  of  people, 
The  quarter-chimes,  serenely  toU'd 

From  Trinity's  undaunted  steeple. 

Even  there  I  heard  a  strange  wild  strain 

Sound  high  above  the  modern  clamor. 
Above  the  cries  of  greed  and  gain. 

The  curbstone  war,  the  auction's  hammer, 
And  swift,  on  Music's  misty  ways, 

It  led,  from  all  this  strife  for  millions, 
To  ancient  sweet-do-nothing  days 

Among  the  kirtle-robed  Sicilians. 

And  as  it  still'd  the  multitude, 

And  yet  more  joyous  rose,  and  shriller, 
I  saw  the  minstrel  where  he  stood 

At  ease  against  a  Doric  pillar: 
One  hand  a  droning  organ  play'd, 

The  other  held  a  Pan's  pipe  (fashion'd 
Like  those  of  old)  to  lips  that  made 
The  reeds  give  out  that  strain  impassion'd. 

'Twas  Pan  himself  had  wandered  here, 

A-strolling  through  the  sordid  city, 
And  piping  to  the  civic  ear 

The  prelude  of  some  pastoral  ditty ! 
The  demigod  had  cross'd  the  seas, — 

From  haunts  of  shepherd,  nymph,  and  satyr. 
And  Syracusan  times,  —  to  these 

Far  shores  and  twenty  centuries  later. 


By  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman. 


LESSER  DIVINITIES   OF  EARTH,   ETC.  203 

A  ragged  cap  was  on  his  head : 

But  —  hidden  thus  —  there  was  no  doubting 
That,  all  with  crispy  locks  o'erspread, 

His  gnarled  horns  were  somewhere  sprouting: 
His  club-feet,  cased  in  rusty  shoes, 

Were  cross'd,  as  on  some  frieze  you  see  them 
And  trousers,  patch'd  of  divers  hues, 

Conceal'd  his  crooked  shanks  beneath  them. 

He  fill'd  the  quivering  reeds  with  sound, 

And  o'er  his  mouth  their  changes  shifted, 
And  with  his  goat's  eyes  look'd  around 

Where'er  the  passing  current  drifted; 
And  soon,  as  on  Trinacrian  hills 

The  nymphs  and  herdsmen  ran  to  hear  him, 
Even  now  the  tradesmen  from  their  tills. 

With  clerks  and  porters,  crowded  near  him. 

The  bulls  and  bears  together  drew 

From  Jauncey  Court  and  New  Street  Alley, 
As  erst,  if  pastorals  be  true, 

Came  beasts  from  every  wooded  valley; 
The  random  passers  stay'd  to  list, — 

A  boxer  /Egon,  rough  and  merry, — 
A  Broadway  Daphnis,  on  his  tr>'st 

With  Nais  at  the  Brooklyn  Ferry. 

A  one-eyed  Cyclops  halted  long 

In  tatter'd  cloak  of  army  pattern, 
And  Galatea  joined  the  throng,  — 

A  blowsy,  apple-vending  slattern; 
While  old  Silenus  stagger'd  out 

From  some  new-fangled  lunch-house  handy. 
And  bade  the  piper,  with  a  shout, 

To  strike  up  "  Yankee  Doodle  Dandy !  " 

A  newsboy  and  a  peanut  girl 

Like  little  Fauns  began  to  caper: 
His  hair  was  all  in  tangled  curl. 

Her  tawny  legs  were  bare  and  taper. 
And  still  the  gathering  larger  grew, 

And  gave  its  pence  and  crowded  nigher,  • 


204  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

While  aye  the  shepherd-minstrel  blew 
His  pipe,  and  struck  the  gamut  higher. 

O  heart  of  Nature !    beating  stUl 

With  throbs  her  vernal  passion  taught  her, — 
Even  here,  as  on  the  vine-clad  hill, 

Or  by  the  Arethusan  water ! 
New  forms  may  fold  the  speech,  new  lands 

Arise  within  these  ocean  portals, 
But  Music  waves  eternal  wands, — 

Enchantress  of  the  souls  of  mortals ! 

So  thought  I ;  —  but  among  us  trod 

A  man  in  blue  with  legal  baton; 
And  scoff'd  the  vagrant  demigod. 

And  push'd  him  from  the  step  I  sat  on. 
Doubting  I  mused  upon  the  cry  — 

"  Great  Pan  is  dead  !  "  —  and  all  the  people 
Went  on  their  ways :  —  and  clear  and  high 

The  quarter  sounded  from  the  steeple. 

§  117.  Of  the  company  of  the  lesser  gods  of  earth,  beside 
Pan,  were  the  Sileni,  the  Sylvans,  the  Fauns,  and  the  Satyrs,  all 
male ;  the  Oreads  and  the  Dryads  or  Hamadryads,  female. 
To  these  may  be  added  the  Naiads,  for,  although  they  dwelt  in 
the  streams,  their  association  with  the  deities  of  earth  was 
intimate.  Of  the  nymphs,  the  Oreads  and  the  Naiads  were 
immortal.  The  love  of  Pan  for  Syrinx  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, and  his  musical  contest  with  Apollo.^  Of  Silenus  we 
have  seen  something  in  the  adventures  of  Bacchus.  What  kind 
of  existence  the  Satyr  enjoyed  is  conveyed  in  the  following 
soliloquy  :  — 

"The  trunk  of  this  tree,* 

Dusky-leaved,  shaggy-rooted, 
Is  a  pillow  well  suited 
To  a  hybrid  like  me. 

Goat-bearded,  goat-footed; 

I  $}  47.  59.  83.  ''■  From  the  Satyr,  by  Robert  Buchanan. 


LESSER   DIVINITIES   OF  EARTH,   ETC. 


205 


For  the  boughs  of  the  glade 

Meet  above  me,  and  throw 
A  cool,  pleasant  shade 

On  the  greenness  below; 
Dusky  and  brown'd 
Close  the  leaves  all  around; 
And  yet,  all  the  while, 

Thro'  the  boughs  I  can  see 
A  star,  with  a  smile. 

Looking  at  me.  .  .  . 

"  Why,  all  day  long, 
I  run  about 
With  a  madcap  throng, 
And  laugh  and  shout. 
Silenus  grips 

My  ears,  and  strides 
On  my  shaggy  hips. 
And  up  and  down 
In  an  ivy  crown 
Tipsily  rides; 

And  when  in  doze 
His  eyelids  close, 
Off  he  tumbles,  and  I 
Can  his  wine-skin  steal, 
I  drink  —  and  feel 
The  grass  roll  —  sea  high; 

Then  with  shouts  and  yells, 
Down  mossy  dells, 
I  stagger  after 

The  wood-nymphs  fleet, 
Who  with  mocking  laughter 

And  smiles  retreat; 
And  just  as  I  clasp 
A  yielding  waist. 
With  a  cry  embraced, 
—  Cush !    it  melts  from  my  grasp 
Into  water  cool. 

And  —  bubble  !    trouble ! 
Seeing  double ! 
I  stumble  and  gasp 
In  some  icy  pool !  " 


206  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 

§  ii8.  Echo  and  Narcissus.^  —  Echo  was  a  beautiful  Oread, 
fond  of  the  woods  and  hills  ;  a  favorite  of  Diana,  whom  she 
attended  in  the  chase.  But  by  her  chatter  she  came  under  the 
displeasure  of  Juno,  who  condemned  her  to  the  loss  of  voice 
save  for  purposes  of  reply. 

Subsequently  having  fallen  in  love  with  Narcissus,  the  beautiful 
son  of  the  river-god  Cephissus,  Echo  found  it  impossible  to 
express  her  regard  for  him  in  any  way  but  by  mimicking  what  he 
said ;  and  what  he  said,  unfortunately,  did  not  always  convey  her 
sentiments.  When,  however,  he  once  called  across  the  hills  to 
her,  "  Let  us  join  one  another,"  the  maid,  answering  with  all  her 
heart,  hastened  to  the  spot,  ready  to  throw  her  arms  about  his  neck. 
He  started  back,  exclaiming,  "  Hands  off !  I  would  rather 
die  than  thou  shouldst  have  me  !  "  "  Have  me,"  said  she ;  but 
in  vain.  From  that  time  forth  she  lived  in  caves  and  among 
mountain  cliffs,  and  faded  away  till  there  was  nothing  left  of  her 
but  her  voice.  But  through  his  future  fortunes  she  was  constant 
to  her  cruel  lover. 

This  Narcissus  was  the  embodiment  of  self-conceit.  He 
shunned  the  rest  of  the  nymphs,  as  he  had  shunned  Echo.  One 
maiden,  however,  uttered  a  prayer  that  he  might  some  time  or 
other  feel  what  it  was  to  love  and  meet  no  return  of  affection. 
The  avenging  goddess  heard.  Narcissus,  stooping  over  a  river- 
brink,  fell  in  love  with  his  own  image  in  the  water.  He  talked 
to  it,  tried  to  embrace  it,  languished  for  it,  and  pined  until  he 
died.  Indeed,  even  after  death,  it  is  said  that  when  his  shade 
passed  the  Stygian  river,  it  leaned  over  the  boat  to  catch  a  look 
of  itself  in  the  waters.  The  nymphs  mourned  for  Narcissus, 
especially  the  water-nymphs ;  and  when  they  smote  their  breasts. 
Echo  smote  hers  also.  They  prepared  a  funeral  pile,  and  would 
have  burned  the  body,  but  it  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  In  its 
place  had  spnmg  up  a  flower,  purple  within  and  surrounded  with 
white  leaves,  which  bears  the  name  and  preserves  the  memory  of 
the  son  of  Cephissus. 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  3 :  339-510. 


LESSER   DIVINITIES   OF  EARTH,   ETC.  207 

§  119.  Echo,  Pan,  Lyde,  and  the  Satyr.  —  Another  interesting 
episode  in  the  life  of  Echo  is  given  by  Moschus  :  ^  — 

Pan  loved  his  neighbor  Echo;    Echo  loved 

A  gamesome  Satyr;    he,  by  her  unmoved, 

Loved  only  Lyde;   thus  through  Echo,  Pan, 

Lyde  and  Satyr,  Love  his  circle  ran. 

Thus  all,  while  their  true  lovers'  hearts  they  grieved, 

Were  scorned  in  turn,  and  what  they  gave  received. 

O  all  Love's  scorners,  learn  this  lesson  true : 

Be  kind  to  love,  that  he  be  kind  to  you. 

§  120.  The  Naiads  guarded  streams  and  fountains  of  fresh 
water ;  kept  them  Hke  the  Naiad  of  the  following  verses,  sacred 
for  Diana,  or  some  other  divinity. 

"  Dian  white-arm'd  has  given  me  this  cool  shrine,' 
Deep  in  the  bosom  of  a  wood  of  pine: 
The  silver-sparkling  showers 
That  hive  me  in,  the  flowers 
That  prink  my  fountain's  brim,  are  hers  and  mine; 
And  when  the  days  are  mild  and  fair, 
And  grass  is  springing,  buds  are  blowing, 
Sweet  it  is,  'mid  waters  flowing. 
Here  to  sit  and  know  no  care, 

'Mid  the  waters  flowing,  flowing,  flowing. 
Combing  my  yellow,  yellow  hair. 

"The  ounce  and  panther  down  the  mountain-side 
Creep  thro'  dark  greenness  in  the  eventide; 
And  at  the  fountain's  brink 
Casting  great  shades,  they  drink, 
Gazing  upon  me,  tame  and  sapphire-eyed; 
For,  awed  by  my  pale  face,  whose  light 
Gleameth  thro'  sedge  and  lilies  yellow 
They,  lapping  at  my  fountain  mellow, 
Harm  not  the  lamb  that  in  afl"right 

Throws  in  the  pool  so  mellow,  mellow,  mellow, 
Its  shadow  small  and  dusky- white. 

1  Lang's  Translation  of  Idyl  VI.     For  Moschus.  see  Commentary,  }  11. 

2  From  The  Naiad,  by  Robert  Buchanan. 


208  CLASSIC  MYTHS   IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

"  Oft  do  the  fauns  and  satyrs,  flusht  with  play, 
Come  to  my  coolness  in  the  hot  noon-day. 
Nay,  once  indeed,  I  vow 
By  Dian's  truthful  brow, 
The  great  god  Pan  himself  did  pass  this  way, 
And,  all  in  festal  oak -leaves  clad, 

His  limbs  among  these  lilies  throwing, 
Watch'd  the  silver  waters  flowing, 
Listen'd  to  their  music  glad. 

Saw  and  heard  them  flowing,  flowing,  flowing. 
And  ah !    his  face  was  worn  and  sad ! 

"  Mild  joys  like  silvery  waters  fall; 

But  it  is  sweetest,  sweetest  far  of  all, 

In  the  calm  summer  night, 

When  the  tree-tops  look  white, 

To  be  exhaled  in  dew  at  Dian's  call. 

Among  my  sister-clouds  to  move 

Over  the  darkness,  earth  bedimming. 
Milky-robed  thro'  heaven  swimming. 
Floating  round  the  stars  above. 

Swimming  proudly,  swimming  proudly,  swimming, 
And  waiting  on  the  Moon  I  love. 

"  So  tenderly  I  keep  this  cool,  green  shrine, 
Deep  in  the  bosom  of  a  wood  of  pine ; 
Faithful  thro'  shade  and  sun. 
That  service  due  and  done 
May  haply  earn  for  me  a  place  divine 
Among  the  white-robed  deities 

That  thread  thro'  starry  paths,  attending 
My  sweet  Lady,  calmly  wending 
Thro'  the  silence  of  the  skies. 

Changing  in  hues  of  beauty  never  ending. 
Drinking  the  light  of  Dian's  eyes." 

§  121,  The  Dryads,  or  Hamadryads,  assumed,  at  times,  the 
forms  of  peasant  girls,  shepherdesses,  or  followers  of  the  himt.  But 
they  were  believed  to  perish  with  certain  trees  which  had  been 
their  abode,  and  with  which  they  had  come  into  existence. 
Wantonly  to  destroy  a  tree  was  therefore  an  impious  act,  some- 


LESSEJi  DIVLXiriES  OF  EARTH,   ETC.  209 

times  severely  punished,  as  in  the  cases  of  Erysichthon  and 
Dryope.    ^ 

Erysichthon,'  a  despiser  of  the  gods,  presumed  to  violate  with 
the  axe  a  grove  .sacred  to  Ceres.  A  venerable  oak,  whereon 
votive  tablets  had  often  been  hung  inscribed  with  the  gratitude  of 
mortals  to  the  nymph  of  the  tree,  —  an  oak,  round  which  the 
Dryads  hand  in  hand  had  often  danced,  he  ordered  his  servants 
to  fell.  When  he  saw  them  hesitate,  he  snatched  an  axe  from 
one,  and  boasting  that  he  cared  not  whether  it  were  a  tree 
beloved  of  the  goddess  or  not,  addressed  himself  to  the  task. 
The  oak  seemed  to  shudder  and  utter  a  groan.  When  the  first 
blow  fell  upon  the  trunk,  blood  flowed  from  the  wound.  Warned 
by  a  bystander  to  desist,  Erysichthon  slew  him  ;  warned  by  a  voice 
from  the  nymph  of  the  tree,  he  redoubled  his  blows,  and  brought 
down  the  oak.   The  Dryads  invoked  punishment  upon  Erysichthon. 

The  goddess  Ceres,  whom  they  had  supplicated,  nodded  her 
assent.  She  despatched  an  Oread  to  ice-clad  Scythia,  where 
Cold  abides,  and  Fear,  and  Shuddering,  and  Famine.  At  Mount 
Caucasus,  the  Oread  stayed  the  dragons  of  Ceres  that  drew 
her  chariot ;  for,  afar  off  she  beheld  Famine,  forespent  with 
hunger,  pulling  up  with  teeth  and  claws  the  scanty  herbage  from 
a  stony  field.  To  her  the  nymph  delivered  the  commands  of 
Ceres ;  then  returned  in  haste  to  Thessaly,  for  she  herself  began 
to  be  an  hungered. 

The  orders  of  Ceres  were  executed  by  Famine,  who,  speeding 
through  the  air,  entered  the  dwelling  of  Erysichthon,  and  as  he 
slept,  enfolded  him  with  her  wings,  and  breathed  herself  into  him. 
In  his  dreams,  the  caitiff  ^craved  food ;  and  when  he  awoke,  his 
hunger  raged.  The  more  he  ate,  the  more  he  craved;  till,  in 
default  of  money,  he  sold  his  daughter  into  slavery  for  edibles. 
Neptune,  however,  rescued  the  girl  by  changing  her  into  a  fisher- 
man ;  and  in  that  form  she  assured  the  slave-owner  that  she  had 
seen  no  woman  or  other  person,  except  herself,  thereabouts. 
Then,  resuming  her  own  appearance,  she  was  again  and  again 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  8 :  738-884. 


210  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

sold  by  her  father;  while  by  Neptune's  favor  she  became  on 
each  occasion  a  different  animal,  and  so  regained  her  home. 
Finally,  increasing  demands  of  hunger  compelled  the  father  to 
devour  his  own  limbs  ;  and  in  due  time  he  finished  himself  off. 

§  122.  Dryope,  the  wife  of  Andraemon,  purposing,  with  her 
sister  lole,  to  gather  flowers  for  the  altars  of  the  nymphs,  plucked 
the  purple  blossoms  of  a  lotus-plant  that  grew  near  the  water,  and 
offered  them  to  her  child.  lole,  about  to  do  the  same  thing,  per- 
ceived that  the  stem  of  the  plant  was  bleeding.  Indeed,  the 
plant  was  none  other  than  a  nymph,  Lotis,  who,  escaping  from  a 
base  pursuer,  had  been  thus  transformed. 

Dryope  would  have  hastened  from  the  spot,  but  the  displeasure 
of  the  nymph  had  fallen  upon  her.  While  protesting  her  inno- 
cence, she  began  to  put  forth  branches  and  leaves.  Praying  her 
husband  to  see  that  no  violence  was  done  to  her,  to  remind 
their  child  that  every  flower  or  bush  might  be  a  goddess  in  dis- 
guise, to  bring  him  often  to  be  nursed  under  her  branches,  and  to 
teach  him  to  say  "My  mother  lies  hid  under  this  bark,"  —  the 
luckless  woman  assumed  the  shape  of  a  lotus. 

§  123.  Rhoecus.'  — 

Hear  now  this  fairy  legend  of  old  Greece, 
As  full  of  freedom,  youth,  and  beauty  still, 
As  the  immortal  freshness  of  that  grace 
Carved  for  all  ages  on  some  Attic  frieze.* 

The  Hamadryads  could  appreciate  services  as  well  as  punish 
injuries.  Rhoecus,  happening  to  see  an  oak  just  ready  to  fall, 
propped  it  up.  The  nymph,  who  had  been  on  the  point  of  per- 
ishing with  the  tree,  expressed  her  gratitude  to  him,  and  bade 
him  ask  what  reward  he  would.  Rhoecus  boldly  asked  her  love, 
and  the  nymph  yielded  to  his  desire.  At  the  same  time  charging 
him  to  be  mindful  and  constant,  she  promised  to  expect  him  an 

1  See  note  (Scholium)  on  the  Argonautics  of  Apollonius,  B  477.  Keil's  edition, 
p.  415,  1,  32. 

2  J.  R.  Lowell,  Rhoecus.  The  student  should  read  not  merely  the  fragments 
given  here,  but  the  whole  exquisite  poem. 


LESSER  DIVINITIES   OF  EARTH,  ETC.  211 

hour  before  sunset,  and,  meanwhile,  to  communicate  with  him 
by  means  of  her  messenger,  —  a  bee  :  — 

Now,  in  those  days  of  simpleness  and  faith. 
Men  did  not  think  that  happy  things  were  dreams 
Because  they  overstepped  the  narrow  bourn 
Of  likelihood,  but  reverently  deemed 
Nothing  too  wondrous  or  too  beautiful 
To  be  the  guerdon  of  a  daring  heart. 
So  Rhoecus  made  no  doubt  that  he  was  blest, 
And  all  along  unto  the  city's  gate 
Earth  seemed  to  spring  beneath  him  as  he  walked, 
The  clear,  broad  sky  looked  bluer  than  its  wont. 
And  he  could  scarce  believe  he  had  not  wings, 
Such  sunshine  seemed  to  glitter  through  his  veins 
Instead  of  blood,  so  light  he  felt  and  strange. 

But  the  day  was  past  its  noon.  Joining  some  comrades  over 
the  dice,  Rhoecus  forgot  all  else.  A  bee  buzzed  about  his  ear. 
Impatiently  he  brushed  it  aside  :  — 

Then  through  the  window  flew  the  wounded  bee, 
And  Rhoecus,  tracking  him  with  angry  eyes, 
Saw  a  sharp  mountain-peak  of  Thessaly 
Against  the  red  disk  of  the  setting  sun, — 
And  instantly  the  blood  sank  from  his  heart.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  Quite  spent  and  out  of  breath  he  reached  the  tree, 
And,  listening  fearfully,  he  heard  once  more 
The  low  voice  murmur,  "  Rhcecus !  "   close  at  hand : 
Whereat  he  looked  around  him,  but  could  see 
Naught  but  the  deepening  glooms  beneath  the  oak. 
Then  sighed  the  voice,  "  O  Rhoecus !    nevermore 
Shalt  thou  behold  me  or  by  day  or  night. 
Me,  who  would  fain  have  blessed  thee  with  a  love 
More  ripe  and  bounteous  than  ever  yet 
Filled  up  with  nectar  any  mortal  heart : 
But  thou  didst  scorn  my  humble  messenger 
And  sent'st  him  back  to  me  with  bruised  wings. 
We  spirits  only  show  to  gentle  eyes. 
We  ever  ask  an  undivided  love. 
And  he  who  scorns  the  least  of  Nature's  works 


212 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Is  thenceforth  exiled  and  shut  out  from  all. 
Farewell !    for  thou  canst  never  see  me  more." 


Then  Rhcecus  beat  his  breast,  and  groaned  aloud. 
And  cried,  "  Be  pitiful  I    forgive  me  yet 
This  once,  and  I  shall  never  need  it  more !  " 
"  Alas !  "   the  voice  returned,  "  'tis  thou  art  blind, 
Not  I  unmerciful;   I  can  forgive, 
But  have  no  skill  to  heal  thy  spirit's  eyes; 
Only  the  soul  hath  power  o'er  itself." 
With  that  again  there  murmured,  "  Nevermore ! ' 
And  Rhcecus  after  heard  no  other  sound, 
Except  the  rattling  of  the  oak's  crisp  leaves, 
Like  the  long  surf  upon  a  distant  shore. 
Raking  the  sea-worn  pebbles  up  and  down. 
The  night  had  gathered  round  him :    o'er  the  plain 
The  city  sparkled  with  its  thousand  lights. 
And  sounds  of  revel  fell  upon  his  ear 
Harshly  and  like  a  curse;    above,  the  sky, 
With  all  its  bright  sublimity  of  stars. 
Deepened,  and  on  his  forehead  smote  the  breeze : 
Beauty  was  all  around  him  and  delight. 
But  from  that  eve  he  was  alone  on  earth. 

According  to  the  older  tradition,  the  nymph  deprived  Rhcecus 
of  his  physical  sight ;  but  the  superior  insight 
of  Lowell's  interpretation  is  evident. 

§  124.  Pomona  and  Vertumnus.^  —  Pomona 
was  a  Hamadryad,  guardian  especially  of  the 
apple-orchards,  but  presiding  also  over  other 
fruits.  "Bear  me,  Pomona,"  sings  one  of  our 
poets :  — 

"  Bear  me,  Pomona,  to  thy  citron  groves, 
To  where  the  lemon  and  the  piercing  lime, 
With  the  deep  orange,  glowing  through  the  green, 
Their  lighter  glories  blend.     Lay  me  reclined 
Beneath  the  spreading  tamarind  that  shakes, 
Fanned  by  the  breeze,  its  fever-cooling  fruit"* 


1  Ovid,  Metaro.  14 :  623-771. 


2  Thomson's  Seasons. 


LESSER  DIVINITIES   OF  EARTH,   ETC.  213 

This  nymph  had  scorned  the  offers  of  love  made  her  by  Pan, 
Sylvanus,  and  innumerable  Fauns  and  Satyrs.  Vertumnus,  too, 
she  had  time  and  again  refused.  But  he,  the  deity  of  gardens 
and  of  the  changing  seasons,  unwearied,  wooed  her  in  as  many 
guises  as  his  seasons  themselves  could  assume.  Now  as  a  reaper, 
now  as  haymaker,  now  as  ploughman,  now  as  vine-dresser,  now  as 
apple-picker,  now  as  fisherman,  now  as  soldier,  —  all  to  no  avail. 
Finally,  as  an  old  woman,  he  came  to  her,  admired  her  fruit, 
admired  especially  the  luxuriance  of  her  grapes,  descanted  on  the 
dependence  of  the  luxuriant  vine,  close  by,  upon  the  elm  to  which 
it  was  clinging  j  advised  Pomona,  likewise,  to  choose  some  youth 
—  say,  for  instance,  the  young  Vertumnus  — 
about  whom  to  twine  her  arms.  Then  he  told 
how  the  worthy  Iphis,  spurned  by  Anaxarete, 
had  hanged  himself  to  her  gate-post ;  and  how 
the  gods  had  turned  the  hard-hearted  virgin 
to  stone  even  as  she  gazed  on  her  lover's  funeral. 
"  Consider  these  things,  dearest  child,"  said  the 
seeming  old  woman,  "  lay  aside  thy  scorn  and 
thy  delays,  and  accept  a  lover.  So  may  neither 
the  vernal  frosts  blight  thy  young  fruits,  nor  fu- 
rious winds  scatter  thy  blossoms  !  " 

When  Vertumnus  had  thus  spoken,  he  dropped 
his  disguise,  and  stood  before   Pomona  in  his 
proper  person,  —  a  comely  youth.     Such  wooing,  of  course,  could 
not  but  win  its  just  reward. 

§  125.  The  Cranes  of  Ibycus.^  —  The  Furies,  called  also  Dirge 
(the  terrible  ones),  Erinyes  (the  persecutors,  or  the  angered  ones), 
and  finally,  by  way  of  euphemism,  Eumenides  (the  well-meaning), 
visited  earth  to  punish  filial  disobedience,  irreverence  to  old  age, 
perjury,  murder,  treachery  to  guests,  even  unkindness  toward  beg- 
gars. They  avenged  the  ghosts  of  such  as,  dying  violent  deaths, 
possessed  on  earth  no  representatives  either  by  law  or  by  kindred 
to  avenge  them.      Therefore,  as  we  shall  see,   they  persecuted 

1  Cf.  Cicero,  Tusculan  Disputations  4 :  33.  71 ;  and  Statius,  Silvae  5 : 3,  152. 


214  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Orestes,  who  had  slain  his  mother.  Therefore,  like  the  accusing 
voice  of  conscience,  they  marshalled  to  punishment  the  murderers 
of  Ibycus. 

This  poet,  beloved  of  Apollo,  was,  while  journeying  to  the 
musical  contest  of  the  Isthmus  at  Corinth,  attacked  by  two  rob- 
bers in  the  Corinthian  grove  of  Neptune.  Overcome  by  them,  he 
commended  his  cause,  as  he  fell,  to  a  flock  of  cranes  that  hap- 
pened to  be  screaming  hoarsely  overhead.  But  when  his  body 
was  found,  all  Greece,  then  gathered  at  the  festival,  demanded 
vengeance  on  the  murderer. 

Soon  afterward,  the  vast  assemblage  in  the  amphitheatre  sat 
listening  to  a  play  in  which  the  Chorus  personated  the  Furies. 
The  Choristers,  clad  in  black,  bore  in  their  fleshless  hands  torches 
blazing  with  a  pitchy  flame.  Advancing  with  measured  step,  they 
made  the  circuit  of  the  stage.  Their  cheeks  were  bloodless,  and 
in  place  of  hair  writhing  serpents  curled  around  their  brows. 
Forming  a  circle,  these  awful  beings  sang  their  hymn.  High  it 
swelled,  overpowering  the  sound  of  the  instruments  :  — 

"  Happy  the  man  whose  heart  is  pure  from  guilt  and  crime  ! 
Him  we  avengers  touch  not ;  he  treads  the  path  of  life  secure 
from  us.  But  woe  !  woe  !  to  him  who  has  done  the  deed  of 
secret  murder.  We,  the  fearful  brood  of  Night,  fasten  our- 
selves upon  him,  soul  and  flesh.  Thinks  he  by  flight  to  escape 
us  ?  Fly  we  still  faster  in  pursuit,  twine  our  snakes  around  his  feet 
and  bring  him  to  the  ground.  Unwearied  we  pursue ;  no  pity 
checks  our  course  ;  still  on,  still  on  to  the  end  of  life,  we  give  no 
peace,  no  rest." 

Stillness  like  the  stillness  of  death  sat  over  the  assembly.  Sud- 
denly a  cry  burst  from  one  of  the  uppermost  benches,  —  "  Lo, 
comrade,  the  cranes  of  Ibycus  ! "  A  dark  object  sailed  across 
the  sky.  "  The  murderer  has  informed  against  himself,"  shouted 
the  assemblage.  The  inference  was  correct.  The  criminals, 
straightway  seized,  confessed  the  crime  and  suffered  the  penalty. 


MYTHS   OF  LESSER  DI FIXITIES   OF  THE   WATERS.     215 


^X^\ 


A^ 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

MYTHS   OF    LESSER   DIVINITIES   OF   THE    WATERS. 

These  gods  may  be  roughly  classed  as  dwellers  in  the  sea,  and 
dwellers  in  the  streams. 

§  126.  Galatea. —  Of  the  sea-divinities,  daughters  of  Nereus 
and  Doris,  none  was  fairer  than  Galatea,  sister  of  Amphitrite  and 
Thetis.  She  loved  Acis,  the  son  of  Faunus  by  a  Naiad,  and  was 
loved  in  return ;  but  her  happiness  was  disturbed  and  finally 
ruined  by  the  persistent  and  jealous  attentions  of  the  Cyclops 
Polyphemus. 

Polyphemus  in  Love.  —  For  the  first  time  in  his  life  the 
Cyclops  began  to  care  for  his  appearance ;  he  harrowed  his 
coarse  locks  with  a  curry-comb,  mowed  his  beard  with  a  sickle, 
and,  looking  into  the  sea  when  it  was  calm,  soliloquized,  "  Beautiful 
seems  my  beard,  beautiful  my  one  eye,  —  as  I  count  beauty,  — 
and  the  sea  reflects  the  gleam  of  my  teeth  whiter  than  the 
Parian  stone."  ^ 

.  .  .  He  loved,  not  with  apples,  nor  roses,  nor  locks  of  hair,  but  with  fatal 
frenzy;  and  all  things  else  he  held  but  trifles  by  the  way.  Many  a  time  from 
the  green  pastures  would  his  ewes  stray  back,  self-shepherded,  to  the  fold. 
But  he  was  singing  of  Galatea;  and  pining  in  his  place,  he  sat  by  the  sea- 
weed of  the  beach  from  the  dawn  of  day  with  the  direst  hurt  beneath  his 
breast  of  mighty  Cypris's  sending,  —  the  wound  of  her  arrow  in  his  heart ! 

Vet  this  remedy  he  found,  and  sitting  on  the  crest  of  the  tall  cliff,  and 
looking  to  the  deep,  'twas  thus  he  would  sing :  — 

"Oh,  milk-white  Galatea,  why  cast  off  him  that  loves  thee?  More  white 
than  is  pressed  milk  to  look  upon,  more  delicate  than  the  lamb  art  thou,  than 
the  young  calf  wantoner,  more  sleek  than  the  unripened  grape !  Here  dost 
thou  resort,  even  so,  when  sweet  sleep  possesses  me,  and  home  straightway 
dost  thou  depart  when  sweet  sleep  lets  me  go,  fleeing  me  like  an  ewe  that 

1  Theocritus,  Idyl  VI.    See  Andrew  Lang's  translation. 


216 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


has  seen  the  gray  wolf.  I  fell  in  love  with  thee,  maiden,  I,  on  the  clay  when 
first  thou  earnest,  with  my  mother,  and  didst  wish  to  pluck  the  hyacinths  from 
the  hill,  and  I  was  thy  guide  on  the  way.  But  to  leave  loving  thee,  when 
once  I  had  seen  thee,  neither  afterward,  nor  now  at  all,  have  I  the  strength, 
even  from  that  hour.  But  to  thee  all  this  is  as  nothing,  by  Zeus,  nay,  nothing 
at  all ! 

"  I  know,  thou  gracious  maiden,  why  it  is  that  thou  dost  shun  me.  It  is 
all  for  the  shaggy  brow  that  spans  my  forehead,  from  this  to  the  other  ear, 
one  long,  unbroken  eyebrow.  And  but  one  eye  is  on  my  forehead,  and 
broad  is  the  nose  that  overhangs  my  lip.     Yet  1  (even  such  as  thou  seest  me) 

feed  a  thousand  cattle,  and  from  these  I  draw 
and  drink  the  best  milk  in  the  world.  And 
cheese  I  never  lack,  in  summer  time  or  au- 
tumn, nay,  nor  in  the  dead  of  winter,  but  my 
baskets  are  always  overladen. 

"  Also  I  am  skilled  in  piping,  as  none  other 
of  the  Cyclopes  here,  and  of  thee,  my  love,  my 
sweet  apple,  and  of  myself,  too,  I  sing,  many 
a  time,  deep  in  the  night.  And  for  thee  I 
tend  eleven  fawns,  all  crescent  browed,  and 
four  young  whelps  of  the  bear.  Nay,  come 
thou  to  me,  and  thou  shalt  lack  nothing  that 
now  thou  hast.  .  .  . 

"  But  if  thou  dost  refuse  because  my  body 
seems  shaggy  and  rough,  well,  I  have  fag- 
gots of  oak-wood,  and  beneath  the  ashes  is 
fire  unwearied,  and  I  would  endure  to  let  thee 
burn  my  very  soul,  and  this  my  one  eye,  the 
dearest  thing  that  is  mine. 
"  Ah  me,  that  my  mother  bore  me  not  a  finny  thing,  so  would  I  have  gone 
down  to  thee,  and  kissed  thy  hand,  if  thy  lips  thou  would  not  suffer  me  to 
kiss !  And  I  would  have  brought  thee  either  white  lilies,  or  the  soft  poppy 
with  its  scarlet  petals.  Nay,  these  are  summer's  flowers,  and  those  are 
flowers  of  winter,  so  I  could  not  have  brought  thee  them  all  at  one  time. 

"  Now,  verily,  maiden,  now  and  here  will  I  learn  to  swim,  if  perchance 
some  stranger  come  hither,  sailing  with  his  ship,  that  I  may  see  why  it  is  so 
dear  to  thee  to  have  thy  dwelling  in  the  deep.  Come  forth,  Galatea,  and 
forget  as  thou  comest,  even  as  I  that  sit  here  have  forgotten,  the  homeward 
way!  .  .  . 

"Oh,  Cyclops,  Cyclops,  whither  are  thy  wits  wandering?  Ah,  that  thou 
wouldst  go,  and  weave  thy  wicker-work,  and  gather  broken  boughs  to  carry 
to  thy  lambs:  in  faith,  if  thou  didst  this,  far  wiser  wouldst  thou  be ! 


MYTHS   OF  LESSER  DIVINITIES  OF   THE   WATERS.       217 


"Milk  the  ewe  that  thou  hast;  why  pursue  the  thing  that  shuns  thee? 
Thou  wilt  find,  perchance,  another,  and  a  fairer,  Galatea.  Many  be  the  girls 
that  bid  me  stay  with  them,  and  softly  they  all  laugh,  if  perchance  I  answer 
them.     On  land  it  is  plain  that  I,  too,  seem  to  be  somebody !  "  ^ 

Having,  one  day,  in  such  wise,  sung,  Polyphemus  wandered, 
beside  himself  for  passion,  into  the  woods.  On  a  sudden  he 
came  in  sight  of  Galatea  and  Acis,  in  the  hollow  of  a  rock, 
where  they  had  hearkened  to  the  strains  of  the  Cyclops.  The 
monster,  infuriate,  crying  that  this  should  be  the  last  of  their 
love-meetings,  overwhelmed  his  rival  with  a  tremendous  rock. 
Purple  blood  spirted  from  under  the  stone,  by  degrees  grew  paler, 
and  finally  became  the  stream  that  still  bears  the  name  of  the 
unfortunate  youth.     But  Galatea  remained  inconsolable.^ 

§  127.  Glaucus  and  Scylla.^  —  Another  deity  of  the  sea  was 
Glaucus,  the  son  of  that  Sisy- 
phus who  was  punished  in 
Hades  for  his  treachery  to 
the  gods.  Glaucus  had  been 
a  comely  young  fisherman ; 
but  having  noticed  that  a 
certain  herb  revived  fishes 
after  they  were  brought  to 
land,  he  ate  of  it,  and  suf- 
fered metamorphosis  into  a 
something  new  and  strange, 
half  man,  half  fish,  and  after 
the  fashion  of  a  sea-god.  Of 
his  experience  during  this 
"  sea- change,"  the  following 
is  an  account :  — 

"  I  plunged  for  life  or  death.     To  interknit 
One's  senses  with  so  dense  a  breathing  stuff 

1  Lang,  Theocritus,  Idyl  XI. 

2  Ovid,  Metam.  13  :  750-867. 
*  Ovid,  Metam.  13  :  898  ;  14 :  74 ;  TibuUus  3 : 4- 


218 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Might  seem  a  work  of  pain;    so  not  enough 

Can  I  admire  how  crystal-smooth  it  felt, 

And  buoyant  round  my  limbs.     At  first  I  dwelt 

Whole  days  and  days  in  sheer  astonishment; 

Forgetful  utterly  of  self-intent, 

Moving  but  with  the  mighty  ebb  and  flow. 

Then  like  a  new-fledged  bird  that  first  doth  show 

His  spreaded  feathers  to  the  morrow  chill, 

I  tried  in  fear  the  pinions  of  my  will. 

*Twas  freedom !    and  at  once  I  visited 

The  ceaseless  wonders  of  this  ocean-bed."  * 


He  became  guardian  of  fishes  and  divers,  and  of  those  who  go 
down  to  the  sea  in  ships.  Later,  being  infatuated  of  the  fair  virgin 
Scylla  (daughter  of  the  sea-god  Phorcys  and  granddaughter  of 

Pontus),  he  paid  his  court 
to  her.  But  the  maiden 
rejected  him.  Whereupon, 
in  desperation,  Glaucus 
sought  the  aid  of  Circe, 
an  enchantress.  She,  be- 
cause she  coveted  for 
herself  the  handsome  sea- 
green  god,  transformed 
her  rival  into  a  monster 
hideously  fashioned  of  ser- 
pents and  barking  dogs.'' 
In  this  shape  Scylla,  there- 
after, infested  the  shore  of 
Sicily,  and  worked  evil  to 
mariners,*  till  finally  she 
was  petrified  as  a  reef,  none  the  less  perilous  to  all  seafarers. 
A  modern  version  of  the  fate  of  Glaucus  and  Scylla  is  given  by 
Keats  in  the  Endymion.     Glaucus  consents  to  Circe's  blandish- 

1  From  Keats's  Endymion. 

2  ^$  52-54,  Text,  and  Commentary. 

8  See  §}  171,  174,  Adventures  of  Ulysses  and  ^neas. 


MYTHS   OF  LESSER  DIVINITIES  OF  THE   WATERS.     219 

ments  for  a  season.  But  becoming  disgusted  with  her  treachery 
and  cruelty,  he  endeavors  to  escape  from  her.  The  attempt 
proving  unsuccessful,  he  is  brought  back,  and  sentenced  to  pass 
a  thousand  years  in  decrepitude  and  pain.  Consequently,  return- 
ing to  the  sea,  he  there  discovers  the  body  of  Scylla,  whom  the  god- 
dess has  not  transformed,  but  drowned ;  and  learns  that  if  he 
passes  his  thousand  years  in  collecting  the  bodies  of  drowned 
lovers,  a  youth  beloved  of  the  gods  will,  in  time,  appear  and  help 
him.  This  prophecy  is  fulfilled  by  Endymion,  who  aids  in  restor- 
ing Glaucus  to  youth,  and  Scylla  antl  the  drowned  lovers  to  life. 

§  128.  Nisus  and  Scylla.^  —  The  daughter  of  Phorcys  is  fre- 
quently confounded  with  another  Scylla,  daughter  of  King  Nisus 
of  Megara.  Scylla  of  Megara  betrayed  her  father  to  his  enemy, 
Minos  II.  of  Crete,  with  whom,  although  the  kings  were  at  war, 
she  had  fallen  violently  in  love.  It  seems  that  Nisus  had  on  his 
head  a  purple  lock  of  hair,  upon  which  depended  his  fortune  and 
his  life.  This  lock  his  daughter  clipped,  and  conveyed  to  Minos. 
But  recoiling  from  the  treacherous  gift,  that  king,  after  he  had 
conquered  Megara,  bound  Scylla  to  the  rudder  of  his  ship,  and  so 
dragged  her  through  the  waves  toward  Crete.  The  girl  was  ulti- 
mately transformed  into  the  monster  of  the  barking  dogs,  or, 
accordmg  to  another  authority,  into  a  bird  continually  the  prey 
of  the  sea-eagle,  whose  form  her  father  Nisus  had  assumed. 

§  1 29.  Leucothea.-  —  Another  sea-change  was  that  of  Ino,  the 
daughter  of  Cadmus  and  wife  of  Athamas,  who,  flying  from  her 
frantic  husband,  sprang,  with  her  child  Melicertes  in  her  arms, 
from  a  cliff  into  the  sea.  The  gods,  out  of  compassion,  made  her 
a  goddess  of  the  sea,  under  the  name  of  Leucothea,  and  her  son  a 
god  under  that  of  Palaemon.  Both  were  held  powerful  to  save 
from  shipwreck,  and  were  invoked  by  sailors.  Palaemon  was  usu- 
ally represented  as  riding  on  a  dolphin.  In  his  honor  the  Isth- 
mian games  were  celebrated.  By  the  Romans  he  was  called 
Portumnus,  and  had  jurisdiction  of  ports  and  shores. 

I  Apollod.  3 :  15,  ^  8.  2  Ovid.,  Metam.  4  :  432-542. 


220  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  130.  Proteus  and  Aristaeus.'  —  Though  Aristaeus,  the  lover  of 
Eurydice,  was  son  of  Apollo  and  guardian  himself  of  herds  and 
flocks,  protector  of  vine  and  olive,  and  keeper  of  bees,  still,  he  was 
son  of  Cyrene,  a  water-nymph,  and  his  most  interesting  adventure 
brought  him  into  contact  with  another  deity  of  the  sea. 

His  bees  having  perished,  Aristaeus  resorted  for  aid  to  his  mother. 
She,  surrounded  by  her  maidens  in  the  crystaUine  abode  under 
her  river,  overheard  his  complaints,  and  ordered  that  he  should 
be  brought  into  her  presence.  The  stream  at  her  command 
opened  itself,  and  let  him  enter,  while  it  stood  heaped  like  a  moun- 
tain on  either  side.  Cyrene  and  her  nymphs,  having  poured  out 
libations  to  Neptune,  gave  the  youth  to  eat,  and  listened  to  his 
complaint :  then  informed  him  that  an  aged  prophet  named 
Proteus,  who  dwelt  in  the  sea,  and  pastured  the  sea-calves  of 
Neptune,  could  explain  the  cause  of  the  mortality  among  the  bees, 
and  how  to  remedy  it.  But  that  the  wizard  would  have  to  be 
chained  and  compelled  to  answer ;  and  that  even  when  chained, 
he  would  try  to  escape  by  assuming  a  series  of  dreadful  forms. 
"  Still,  thou  hast  but  to  keep  him  fast  bound,"  concluded  Cyrene  ; 
"  and  at  last,  when  he  finds  his  arts  of  no  avail,  he  will  obey  thy 
behest."  The  nymph  then  sprinkled  her  son  with  nectar,  where- 
upon an  unusual  vigor  filled  his  frame,  and  courage  his  heart. 

Cyrene  led  her  son  to  the  prophet's  cave,  which  was  in  the 
island  of  Pharos,  or  of  Carpathos,^  and  concealed  him.  At  noon 
issued  Proteus  from  the  water,  followed  by  his  herd  of  sea-calves, 
which  spread  themselves  along  the  shore.  He,  too,  stretched 
himself  on  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  went  to  sleep.  Aristaeus 
immediately  clapped  fetters  on  him,  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  Proteus,  finding  himself  captured,  resorted  to  his  craft, 
becoming  first  a  fire,  then  a  flood,  then  a  horrible  wild  beast,  in 
rapid  succession ;  nor  did  he  succumb  till  all  schemes  had  failed 
to  set  him  free.  Then  he  resumed  his  own  form  and,  in  response 
to  the  questioning  of  Aristaeus,  said  :  "  Thou  receives!  the  merited 

1  Cf.  Odyssey  4 :  410 ;  Ovid,  Fasii  i :  369 ;  Vergil,  Georgics  4 :  317. 
*  Cf.  §  131,  Milton's  Carpathian  Wizard. 


MYTHS  OF  LESSER  DIVINITIES  OF  THE   WATERS.      221 

reward  of  thy  deed,  by  which  Eurydice  met  her  death.  To  avenge 
her,  the  nymphs  have  sent  this  destruction  on  thy  bees.  Their 
anger  thou  must  appease.  Four  bulls  shalt  thou  select,  of  perfect 
form  and  size,  and  four  cows  of  equal  beauty;  and  four  altars 
shalt  thou  build  to  the  nymphs ;  and  shalt  sacrifice  the  animals, 
leaving  their  carcasses  in  the  leafy  grove.  To  Orpheus  and 
Eurydice  thou  shalt  pay  such  funeral  honors  as  may  allay  their 
resentment.  Returning  after  nine  days,  examine  the  bodies  of 
the  cattle  slain,  and  see  what  has  befallen."  Aristaeus  faithfully 
obeyed  these  directions.  Returning  to  the  grove,  on  the  ninth 
day,  he  found  that  a  swarm  of  bees  had  taken  possession  of 
one  of  the  carcasses,  and  were  pursuing  their  labors  there  as  in 
a  hive.^ 

§  131.  Acheloiis  and  Hercules.^ — A  similar  contest  took  place 
between  Hercules  and  the  river-god  Acheloiis.  The  cause  of 
the  strife  was  Dejanira  of  Calydon,  whom  both  heroes  loved. 
Hercules  boasted  his  divine  descent.  Acheloiis,  not  content  with 
advancing  his  claim  as  lord  of  the  mightiest  and  most  ancient 
river  of  Greece,  insinuated  suspicions  with  regard  to  the  value 
of  Hercules'  pretensions.  Then  began  a  mighty  struggle.  Find- 
ing he  was  no  match  for  Hercules  in  the  wrestler's  art,  Acheloiis 
glided  away  in  the  form  of  a  serpent.  Hercules,  remarking  that 
it  was  the  labor  of  his  infancy  to  strangle  snakes,"  clasped  the 
neck  of  Acheloiis,  and  choked  him.  Then  Acheloiis  assumed 
the  seeming  of  a  bull.  Whereupon  Hercules,  seizing  him  by  the 
horns,  dragged  his  head  to  the  ground,  overthrew  him,  and  rent 
one  horn  away.  This  trophy  the  Naiads  consecrated,  and  filled 
with  flowers  for  the  goddess  of  Plenty,  who,  adopting  it  as  her 
symbol,  named  it  Cornucopia. 

No  writer  in  modem  times  has  made  more  graceful  poetic  use 
of  the  divinities  of  the  streams  than  has  Milton.  The  following 
song,  chanted  by  a  Spirit  in  invocation  of  "  the  gentle  nymph  .  ,  . 
that  with  moist  curb  sways  the  smooth  Severn  stream,"  is  but  one 

1  See  Commentary,  \  130.  '  Ovid,  Mefam.  9 :  i-ioo. 

»  j  139. 


222 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


refrain  of  many  caught  by  the  poet 
from  the  far-echoing  chorus  of  classi- 
cal verse. 

"  Sabrina  fair, 

Listen  where  thou  art  sitting 
Under  the  glassy,  cool,  translucent  wave. 

In  twisted  braids  of  lilies  knitting 
The    loose    train   of   thy   amber-dropping 
hair; 
Listen  for  dear  honor's  sake. 
Goddess  of  the  silver  lake, 

Listen  and  save. 

"  Listen  and  appear  to  us 
In  name  of  great  Ocean  us. 
By  th'  earth-shaking  Neptune's  mace, 
And  Tethys'  grave,  majestic  pace, 
By  hoary  Nereus'  wrinkled  look, 
And  the  Carpathian  wizard's  hook. 
By  scaly  Triton's  winding  shell. 
And  old  soothsaying  Glaucus'  spell, 
By  Leucothea's  lovely  hands. 
And  her  son  that  rules  the  strands, 
By  Thetis'  tinsel-slippered  feet, 
And  the  songs  of  Sirens  sweet. 
By  dead    Parthenope'si  dear  tomb 
And  fair  Ligea's  *  golden  comb. 
Wherewith  she  sits  on  diamond  rocks, 
Sleeking  her  soft,  alluring  locks. 
By  all  the  nymphs  that  nightly  dance 
Upon  thy  streams  with  wily  glance; 
Rise,  rise,  and  heave  thy  rosy  head 
From  thy  coral-paven  bed. 
And  bridle  in  thy  headlong  wave. 
Till  thou  our  summons  answered  have. 
Listen  and  save."  ^ 

1  See  Commentary. 

2  Milton's  Comus,  859-889. 


A  30' 


B       39 


GREECE 

BELOW 
TITERMOPYI.^ 


STADIA 

" 

ROMAN  HILE6 

JU 

" 

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MYTHS   OF   THE    OLDER   HEROES.  223 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

MYTHS    OF   THE    OLDER   HEROES. 
The  House  of  Danaus. 

§  132.  The  Older  and  the  Younger  Heroes.  —  We  have  already 
narrated  the  adventures  of  certain  demigods  and  heroes,  such  as 
Prometheus,  DeucaUon,  Cadmus,  Amphion,  Orpheus.  Others  of 
importance  were  Perseus,  Hercules,  Minos,  Gildipus,  Theseus, 
Jason,  Meleager,  Peleus,  Pelops,  Castor  and  Pollux.  These  and 
their  contemporaries  may  be  called  the  Older  Heroes.  They  are 
renowned  either  for  individual  exploits  or  for  the  part  played  by 
them  in  one  or  more  of  three  great  expeditions,  —  the  War 
against  Laomedon  of  Troy,^  the  Voyage  for  the  Golden  Fleece,* 
and  the  Hunt  of  the  Calydonian  Boar.^ 

The  Younger  Heroes  were  of  a  later  generation,  which  was 
concerned  in  four  important  enterprises,  —  the  War  of  the  Seven 
against  Thebes,*  the  Trojan  War,^  the  Wanderings  of  Ulysses,®  and 
the  Adventures  of  ^neas.'  ■ — \ 

The  exploits  of  the  Older  Heroes  may  be  arranged  in  respect  ' 
of  their  probable  sequence  in  time,  and  of  their  grouping  accord- 
ing to  families  of  heroes.  If  we  observe  the  principle  of  gene- 
alogy, one  race,  that  of  Inachus  of  Argos,  attracts  our  notice 
in  the  heroes  descended  from  Pelasgus,*  Belus,  and  Agenor. 
The  family  of  Belus  gives  us  the  famous  House  of  Danaus ;  the 
family  of  Agenor,  the  Houses  of  Minos  and  Labdacus.  Another 
race,   that   of  Deucalion,   gives   us  the   heroes  of  the   Hellenic 

1  \  142.  6  ^  167. 

2  \  145.  6  \  171. 

3  §  148.  r  §  174. 

*  ^  163.  ^  §§  30,  133,  and  Commentary,  59. 


224  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

branch,  most  notably  those  descended  from  ^olus.  With  these 
famiUes  most  of  the  Older  Heroes  are,  by  blood  or  by  adven- 
ture, to  some  extent  connected.  Bearing  this  fact  in  mind,  and 
at  the  same  time  observing  the  chronological  sequence  of  adven- 
tures, we  obtain  an  arrangement  of  myths  as  illustrating  the  races, 
famihes,  or  houses:  (i)  of  Danavis  of  Argos,  (2)  of  ^olus  of 
Thessaly,  (3)  of  ^tolus,  (4)  of  Minos  of  Crete,  (5)  of  Cecrops 
and  of  Erichthonius  of  Attica,  (6)  of  Labdacus  of  Thebes.^ 

§  133.  The  Genealogy  of  Danaiis.  —  As  the  Hellenes,  in  the 
north,  traced  their  descent  from  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  of 
Thessaly,  so  the  Pelasgic  races  of  the  south  from  the  river-god 
Inachus,  son  of  Oceanus.  The  son  of  Inachus,  Phoroneus,  lived 
in  the  Peloponnesus  and  founded  the  town  of  Argos.  This 
Phoroneus  conferred  upon  the  Argives  the  benefits  attributed  by 
other  Greeks  to  Prometheus.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Pelasgus,  from  whom  a  division  of  the  Greek  people  derive  their 
name.  With  the  love  of  Jupiter  for  the  sister  of  Phoroneus,  the 
fair  lo,  we  are  already  acquainted.  Her  son  was  Epaphus,  king 
of  Egypt,  from  whom  were  descended  (i)  Agenor  of  Phoenicia, 
father  of  Europa  and  Cadmus,  and  (2)  Belus  of  Egypt,  father  of 
-^gyptus  and  Danaiis.  To  the  family  of  Agenor  we  shall  return  in 
the  history  of  Minos,^  son  of  Europa,  and  of  CEdipus,^  descendant 

of  Cadmus. 

The  Danaids.*  —  ^gyptus 
and  his  fifty  sons  drove  Dan- 
aiis and  his  fifty  daughters  back 
to  Argos,  the  ancestral  home 
of  the  race.  Finally  a  recon- 
ciliation was  arranged  by 
means  of  a  fifty-fold  marriage 
between  the  sons  of  ^gyptus  and  the  Danaids.  But  in  accord- 
ance with  a  treacherous  command  of  Danaiis,  all  his  daughters, 

1  For  references  to  genealogical  tables,  see  Commentary,  {  132. 

«  §  149.  «  $  158. 

*  Apollod.  2. 1.  \  5,  etc. ;  Pausanias ;  Ovid,  Heroides  14 ;  Horace,  Odes  3 :  1 1.  23. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    OLDER  HEROES.  225 

save  Hypermnestra,  slew  their  husbands  on  the  wedding  night. 
For  this  crime  the  forty-nine  Danaids  were  condemned  to  spend 
eternity  in  Tartarus,  trying  to  fill  with  water  a  vessel  full  of  holes. 
From  Hypermnestra  and  her  husband,  Lynceus,  was  sprung  the 
royal  house  of  Argos.  Their  son  was  Abas  ;  their  grandson,  Acri- 
sius,  —  of  whom  the  following  narrative  is  told. 

§  134.  The  Doom  of  King  Acrisius.'  —  The  daughter  of  Acrisius 
was  Danae,  of  surpassing  loveliness.  In  consequence  of  an  oracle 
which  had  prophesied  that  the  son  of  Danae  would  be  the  means 
of  his  grandfather's  death,  the  hapless  girl  was  shut  in  an  under- 
ground chamber,  that  no  man  might  love  or  wed  her.  But  Jupi- 
ter, distilling  himself  into  a  shower  of  gold,  flooded  the  girl's 
prison,  wooed,  and  won  her.  Their  son  was  Perseus.  King 
Acrisius,  in  dismay,  ordered  mother  and  child  to  be  boxed  up 
in  a  chest  and  set  adrift  on  the  sea.  The  two  unfortunates  were, 
however,  rescued  at  Seriphus  by  a  fisherman,  who  conveyed  the 
mother  and  infant  to  Polydectes,  king  of  the  country,  by  whom 
they  were  treated  at  first  with  kindness,  but  afterwards  with 
cnielty. 

§  135.  Perseus  and  Medusa.' — When  Perseus  was  grown  up, 
Polydectes  sent  him  to  attempt  the  conquest  of  the  Gorgon 
Medusa,'  a  terrible  monster  who  had  laid  waste  the  country. 
She  had  once  been  a  maiden  whose  hair  was  her  chief  glory ;  but 
as  she  dared  to  vie  in  beauty  with  Minerva,  the  goddess  deprived 
her  of  her  charms,  and  changed  her  ringlets  into  hissing  serpents. 
She  became  a  monster  of  so  frightful  an  aspect  that  no  living  thing 
could  behold  her  without  being  turned  into  stone.  All  around  the 
cavern  where  she  dwelt  might  be  seen  the  stony  figures  of  men 
and  animals  that  had  chanced  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  her  and  had 
been  petrified  at  the  sight.  Perseus,  favored  by  Minerva  and 
Mercury,  set  out  against  the  Gorgon,  and  approached  first  the 
cave  of  the  three  Graeae  :  — 

1  Simonides  of  Ceos,  also  Apollodonis,  Pausanias,  and  Hyginus  (Fables). 

2  Ovid,  Melam.  4 :  608-739 ;  5 : 1-249. 
>  For  Gorgons  and  Graeae,  see  §  54. 


226  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

There  sat  the  crones  that  had  the  single  eye, 

Qad  in  blue  sweeping  cloak  and  snow-white  gown; 

While  o'er  their  backs  their  straight  white  hair  hung  down 

In  long  thin  locks;   dreadful  their  faces  were, 

Carved  all  about  with  wrinkles  of  despair; 

And  as  they  sat  they  crooned  a  dreary  song, 

Complaining  that  their  lives  should  last  so  long, 

In  that  sad  place  that  no  one  came  anear. 

In  that  wan  place  desert  of  hope  and  fear; 

And  singing,  still  they  rocked  their  bodies  bent. 

And  ever  each  to  each  the  eye  they  sent.' 

Snatching  the  eye,  Perseus  compelled  the  Grgeae,  as  the  price 
of  its  restoration,  to  tell  him  how  he  might  obtain  the  helmet  of 
Hades  that  renders  its  wearer  invisible,  and  the  winged  shoes  and 
pouch  that  were  necessary.  With  this  outfit,  to  which  Minerva 
added  her  shield  and  Mercury  his  knife,  Perseus  sped  to  the  hall 
of  the  Gorgons.     In  silence  sat  two  of  the  sisters,  — 

But  a  third  woman  paced  about  the  hall, 
And  ever  turned  her  head  from  wall  to  wall 

And  moaned    aloud,  and    shrieked   in 

her  despair; 
Because  the  golden  tresses  of  her  hair 
Were  moved  by  writhing  snakes  from 

side  to  side, 
That  in  their  writhing  oftentimes  would 

glide 
On  to  her  breast,  or  shuddering  shoul- 
ders white; 
Or,   falling   down,  the   hideous   things 
would  light 

Upon  her  feet,  and  crawling  thence  would  twine 
Their  slimy  folds  about  her  ankles  fine.' 

This  was  Medusa.  Her,  while  she  was  praying  the  gods  to 
end  her  misery,  or,  as  some  say,  while  she  was  sleeping,  Perseus 
approached,  —  and  guided  by  her  image  reflected  in  the  bright 
shield  which  he  bore,  cut  off  her  head,  and  so  ended  her  miser- 

1  William  Morris,  The  Doom  of  King  Acrisius,  in  The  Earthly  Paradise. 


MYTHS   OF  THE   OLDER  HEROES.  221 

able  existence.     Thus  are  described  the  horror  and  the  grace  of 
her  features  in  death  :  — 

It  lieth,  gazing  on  the  midnight  sky, 

Upon  the  cloudy  mountain-peak  supine; 
Below,  far  lands  are  seen  tremblingly; 

Its  horror  and  its  beauty  are  divine. 
Upon  its  lips  and  eyelids  seems  to  lie 

Loveliness  like  a  shadow,  from  which  shine, 
Fiery  and  lurid,  straggling  underneath. 
The  agonies  of  anguish  and  of  death. 

Yet  it  is  less  the  horror  than  the  grace 
Which  turns  the  gazer's  spirit  into  stone; 

Whereon  the  lineaments  of  that  dead  face 
Are  graven,  till  the  characters  be  grown 

Into  itself,  and  thought  no  more  can  trace; 
'Tis  the  melodious  hue  of  beauty  thrown 

Athwart  the  darkness  and  the  glare  of  pain, 

Which  humanize  and  harmonize  the  strain.'  .  .  . 

§  136.   Perseus  and  Atlas.  —  From  the  body  of  Medusa  sprang 
the  winged   horse  Pegasus,  of  whose 
rider,  Bellerophon,  we  shall  presently 
be  informed. 

After  the  slaughter  of  Medusa, 
Perseus,  bearing  with  him  the  head 
of  the  Gorgon,  flew  far  and  wide, 
over  land  and  sea.  As  night  came 
on,  he  reached  the  western  limit  of 
the  earth,  and  would  gladly  have 
rested  till  morning.  Here  was  the 
realm  of  Atlas,  whose  bulk  surpassed 
that  of  all  other  men.  He  was  rich 
in  flocks  and  herds ;  but  his  chief 
pride  was  his  garden  of  the  Hesperi- 
des,  whose  fruit  was  of  gold,    hanging   from   golden   branches, 

1  From  Shelley's  lines  On  the  Medusa  of  Leonardo  Da  Vinci  in  the  Florentine 
Gallery. 


228  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURK. 

half  hid  with  golden  leaves.  Perseus  said  to  him,  "  I  come  as  a 
guest.  If  thou  holdest  in  honor  illustrious  descent,  I  claim  Jupiter 
for  my  father ;  if  mighty  deeds,  I  plead  the  conquest  of  the  Gorgon. 
I  seek  rest  and  food."  But  Atlas,  remembering  an  ancient  proph- 
ecy that  had  warned  him  against  a  son  of  Jove  who  should  one 
day  rob  him  of  his  golden  apples,  attempted  to  thrust  the  youth 
out.  Whereupon  Perseus,  finding  the  giant  too  strong  for  him, 
held  up  the  Gorgon's  head.  Atlas,  with  all  his  bulk,  was  changed 
into  stone.  His  beard  and  hair  became  forests,  his  arms  and 
shoulders  cliffs,  his  head  a  summit,  and  his  bones  rocks.  Each 
part  increased  in  mass  till  the  giant  became  the  mountain  upon 
whose  shoulders  rests  heaven  with  all  its  stars. 

§  137.  Perseus  and  Andromeda.  —  On  his  way  back  to  Seriphus, 
the  Gorgon-slayer  arrived  at  the  country  of  the  Ethiopians,  over 
whom  Cepheus  was  king.     His  wife  was  Cassiopea  — 

"That  starred  yEthiop  queen  that  strove 
To  set  her  beauty's  praise  above 
The  sea-nymphs,  and  their  powers  offended."^ 

These  nymphs  had  consequently  sent  a  sea-monster  to  ravage 
the  coast.  To  appease  the  deities,  Cepheus  was  directed  by  the 
oracle  to  devote  his  daughter  Andromeda  to  the  ravening  maw 
of  the  prodigy.  As  Perseus  looked  down  from  his  aerial  height, 
he  beheld  the  virgin  chained  to  a  rock.  Drawing  nearer,  he  pitied, 
then  comforted  her,  and  sought  the  reason  of  her  disgrace.  At 
first  from  modesty  she  was  silent ;  but  when  he  repeated  his  ques- 
tions, for  fear  she  might  be  thought  guilty  of  some  offence  which 
she  dared  not  tell,  she  disclosed  her  name  and  that  of  her  country, 
and  her  mother's  pride  of  beauty.  Before  she  had  done  speaking, 
a  sound  was  heard  upon  the  water,  and  the  monster  appeared. 
The  virgin  shrieked  ;  the  father  and  mother,  who  had  now  arrived, 
poured  forth  lamentations  and  threw  their  arms  about  the  victim. 
But  the  hero,  himself,  undertook  to  slay  the  monster,  on  condi- 
tion that,  if  the  maiden  were  rescued  by  his  valor,  she  should 

*  Milton,  II  Penseroso,  1.  19. 


MYTHS  OF  THE   OLDER  HEROES.  229 

be  his  reward.     The  parents  consented.     Perseus  embraced  his 
promised  bride;  then  — 

Loosing  his  arms  from  her  waist  he  flew  upward,  awaiting  the  sea-beast. 
Onward  it  came  from  the  southward,  as  bulky  and  black  as  a  galley. 
Lazily  coasting  along,  as  the  fish  fled  leaping  before  it; 
I^azily  breasting  the  ripple,  and  watching  by  sandbar  and  headland, 
Listening  for  laughter  of  maidens  at  bleaching,  or  song  of  the  fisher. 
Children  at  play  on  the  pebbles,  or  cattle  that  passed  on  the  sand-hills. 
Rolling  and  dripping  it  came,  where  bedded  in  glistening  purple 
Cold  on  the  cold  sea-weeds  lay  the  long  white  sides  of  the  maiden, 
Trembling,  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  her  tresses  afloat  on  the  water.^ 

The  youth  darted  down  upon  the  back  of  the  monster,  and 
plunged  his  sword  into  its  shoulder,  then  eluded  its  furious  attack 
by  means  of  his  wings.  Wherever  he  could  find  a  passage  for  his 
sword,  he  plunged  it  between  the  scales  of  flank  and  side.  The 
wings  of  the  hero  were  finally  drenched  and  unmanageable  with 
the  blood  and  water  that  the  brute  spouted.  Then  alighting  on  a 
rock  and  holding  by  a  projection,  he  gave  the  monster  his  death- 
blow. 

The  joyful  parents,  with  Perseus  and  Andromeda,  repaired  to 
the  palace,  where  a  banquet  was  opened  for  them.  But  in  the 
midst  of  the  festivities,  a  noise  was  heard  of  warlike  clamor ;  and 
Phineus,  who  had  formerly  been  betrothed  to  the  bride,  burst  in 
demanding  her  for  his  own.  In  vain,  Cepheus  remonstrated  that 
all  such  engagements  had  been  dissolved  by  the  sentence  of  death 
passed  upon  Andromeda,  and  that  if  Phineus  had  actually  loved  the 
girl,  he  would  have  tried  to  rescue  her.  Phineus  and  his  adherents, 
persisting  in  their  intent,  attacked  the  wedding  party,  and  would 
have  broken  it  up  with  most  admired  disorder,  but 

Mid  the  fabled  Libyan  bridal  stood 

Perseus  in  stern  tranquillity  of  wrath, 

Half  stood,  half  floated  on  his  ankle-plumes 

Out-swelling,  while  the  bright  face  on  his  shield 

Looked  into  stone  the  raging  fray.^ 

1  From  Charles  Kingsley's  Andromeda.  2  Milman's  Samor. 


230 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Leaving  Phineus  and   his  fellows  in  merited  petrifaction,  and 
conveying  Andromeda  to  Seriphus,  the  hero,  there,  turned  into 


stone  Polydectes  and  his  court,  because  the  tyrant  had  rendered 
Danae's  life  intolerable  with  his  attentions.     Perseus  then  restored 


MYTHS   OF  THE   OLDER  HEROES.  231 

to  their  owners  the  charmed  helmet,  the  mnged  shoes,  and  the 
pouch  in  which  he  had  conveyed  the  Gorgon's  head.  The  head 
itself  he  bestowed  upon  Minerva,  who  bore  it  afterward  upon  her 
aegis  or  shield.  Of  that  Gorgon-shield  no  more  poetic  interpreta- 
tion can  be  framed  than  the  following  :  — 

"What  was  that  snaky-headed  Gorgon-shield 
That  wise  Minerva  wore,  unconquered  virgin. 
Wherewith  she  freezed  her  foes  to  congealed  stone, 
But  rigid  looks  of  chaste  austerity. 
And  noble  grace  that  dashed  brute  violence 
With  sudden  adoration  and  blank  awe !  "  ^ 

With  his  mother  and  his  wife  Perseus  returned  to  Argos  to  seek 
his  grandfather.  But  Acrisius,  still  fearing  his  doom,  had  retired 
to  Larissa  in  Thessaly.  Thither  Perseus  followed  him,  and  found 
him  presiding  over  certain  funeral  games.  As  luck  would  have  it, 
the  hero  took  part  in  the  quoit-throwing,  and  hurled  a  quoit  far 
beyond  the  mark.  The  disc,  falling  upon  his  grandfather's  foot, 
brought  about  the  old  man's  death  ;  and  in  that  way  the  prophecy 
was  fulfilled.  Of  Perseus  and  Andromeda  three  sons  were  bom, 
through  one  of  whom,  Electryon,  they  became  grandparents  of 
the  famous  .Alcmene,  sweetheart  of  Jove,  and  mother  of  Hercules. 

§  138.  Bellerophon  and  the  Chimaera.^  —  The  horse  Pegasus, 
which  sprang  from  the  Gorgon's  blood,  found  a  master  in  Beller- 
ophon of  Corinth.  This  youth  was  of  the  Hellenic  branch  of 
the  Greek  nation,  being  descended  from  Sisyphus,  and  through 
him  from  yEolus,  the  son  of  Hellen.^  His  adventures  might 
therefore  be  recited  with  those  of  Jason  and  other  descendants 
of  v4^olus  in  the  next  chapter,  but  that  they  follow  so  closely  on 
those  of  Perseus.  His  father,  Glaucus,  king  of  Corinth,  is  fre- 
quently identified  with  Glaucus  the  fisherman.  This  Glaucus  of 
Corinth  was  noted  for  his  love  of  horse-racing,  his  fashion  of  feed- 
ing his  mares  on  human  flesh,  and  his  destruction  by  the  fury  of 

1  Milton's  Comus. 

2  Iliad  6 :  155-202;  ApoUodorus,  i.  9.  }  3 ;  Horace,  Odes  4 :  11,  a6. 
•  See  Commentary,  \\  95,  138. 


232  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 


MYTHS   OF  THE    OLDER  HEROES.  233 

his  horses ;  for  having  upset  his  chariot,  they  tore  their  master  to 
pieces.     As  to  his  son,  Bellerophon,  the  following  is  related  :  — 

In  Lycia  a  monster,  breathing  fire,  made  great  havoc.  The 
fore  part  of  its  body  was  a  compound  of  the  lion  and  the  goat ; 
the  hind  part  was  a  dragon's.  The  king,  lobates,  sought  a  hero  to 
destroy  this  Chimaera,  as  it  was  called.  At  that  time  Bellerophon 
arrived  at  his  court.  The  gallant  youth  brought  letters  from 
Proetus,  the  son-in-law  of  lobates,  recommending  Bellerophon  in 
the  warmest  terms  as  an  unconquerable  hero,  but  adding  a  request 
to  his  father-in-law  to  put  him  to  death.  For  Proetus,  suspecting 
that  his  wife  Antea  looked  with  too  great  favor  on  the  young 
warrior,  schemed  thus  to  destroy  him. 

lobates  accordingly  determined  to  send  Bellerophon  against  the 
Chimaera.  Bellerophon  accepted  the  proposal,  but  before  pro- 
ceeding to  the  combat,  consulted  the  soothsayer  PolyiHus,  who 
counselled  him  to  procure,  if  possible,  the  horse  Pegasus  for  the 
conflict.  Now  this  horse  had  been  caught  and  tamed  by  Minerva, 
and  by  her  presented  to  the  Muses.  Polyidus,  therefore,  directed 
Bellerophon  to  pass  the  night  in  the  temple  of  Minerva.  While 
he  slept,  Minerva  brought  him  a  golden  bridle.  When  he  awoke, 
she  showed  him  Pegasus  drinking  at  the  well  of  Pirene.  At  sight 
of  the  bridle,  the  winged  steed  came  wilhngly  and  suffered  himself 
to  be  taken.  Bellerophon  mounted  him,  sped  through  the  air, 
found  the  Chimaera,  and  gained  an  easy  victory. 

After  the  conquest  of  this  monster,  Bellerophon  was  subjected 
to  further  trials  and  labors  by  his  unfriendly  host,  but  by  the 
aid  of  Pegasus  he  triumphed  over  all.  At  length  lobates,  seeing 
that  the  hero  was  beloved  of  the  gods,  gave  him  his  daughter  in 
marriage  and  made  him  his  successor  on  the  throne.  It  is  said 
that  Bellerophon,  by  his  pride  and  presumption,  drew  upon  him- 
self the  anger  of  the  Olympians  ;  that  he  even  attempted  to  fly 
to  heaven  on  his  winged  steed ;  but  the  king  of  gods  and  men 
sent  a  gadfly,  which,  stinging  Pegasus,  caused  him  to  throw  his 
rider,  who  wandered  ever  after  lame,  blind,  and  lonely  through 
the  Aleian  field,  and  perished  miserably. 


234  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  139.  Hercules  (Heracles) .'  —  Alcmene,  daughter  of  Electryon 
and  granddaughter  of  Perseus  and  Andromeda,  was  beloved  of 
Jupiter.  Their  son,  the  mighty  Hercules,  born  in  Thebes,  became 
the  national  hero  of  Greece.  Juno,  always  hostile  to  the  offspring 
of  her  husband  by  mortal  mothers,  declared  war  against  Hercules 
from  his  birth.  She  sent  two  serpents  to  destroy  him  as  he  lay 
in  his  cradle,  but  the  precocious  infant  strangled  them  with  his 
hands.  In  his  youth  he  passed  for  the  son  of  his  step-father 
Amphitryon,  king  of  Thebes,  —  a  grandson  of  Perseus  and  An- 
dromeda. The  lad  had  the  best  of  teachers.  Rhadamanthus 
trained  him  in  wisdom  and  virtue,  Linus  in  music.  Unfortunately 
the  latter  attempted,  one  day,  to  chastise  Hercules ;  whereupon 
the  pupil  killed  the  master  with  a  lute.  After  this  melancholy 
breach  of  discipline,  the  youth  was  rusticated,  —  sent  off  to  the 
mountains,  where  among  the  herdsmen  and  the  cattle  he  grew  to 
mighty  stature,  slew  the  Thespian  lion,  and  performed  various  deeds 
of  valor.  To  him,  while  still  a  youth,  appeared,  according  to  one 
story,  two  women  at  a  meeting  of  the  ways,  —  Pleasure  and  Duty. 
The  gifts  offered  by  Duty  were  the  "  Choice  of  Hercules."  Soon 
afterward  he  contended  with  none  other  than  Apollo  for  the  tripod 
of  Delphi ;  but  reconciliation  was  effected  between  the  combatants 
by  the  gods  of  Olympus ;  and  from  that  day  forth  Apollo  and 
Hercules  remained  true  friends,  each  respecting  the  prowess  of 
the  other.  Returning  to  Thebes,  the  hero  aided  his  half-brother 
Iphicles  and  his  reputed  father  Amphitryon  in  throwing  off  the 
yoke  of  the  city  of  Orchomenus.  Then,  while  in  the  very  pride 
of  his  manhood,  he  was  driven  insane  by  the  implacable  Juno. 
In  his  madness  he  slew  his  children,  and  would  have  slain  Am- 
phitryon, also,  had  not  Minerva  knocked  him  over  with  a  stone, 
and  plunged  him  into  a  deep  sleep,  from  which  he  awoke  in  his 
right  mind.  Next,  for  expiation  of  the  bloodshed,  he  was  rendered 
subject  to  his  cousin  Eurystheus  and  compelled  to  perform  his 
commands.     This  humiliation,  Juno,  of  course,  had  decreed. 

1  Authorities  are  Homer,  —  Iliad  and  Odyssey ;  Theocritus  24  :  i,  etc. ;  Apollo- 
dorus,  2.  4.'}  7,  etc.;  Sophocles,  Women  of  Trachis;  Euripides,  Hercules  Furens; 
Ovid,  Metam.  9:  102-272;  Seneca,  Hercules  Furens    and  CEta;us  ;  Hyginus,  etc. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    OLDER  HEROES.  235 

Eurystheus  enjoined  upon  the  hero  a  succession  of  desperate 
undertakings,  which  are  called  the  twelve  "  Labors  of  Hercules." 
The  first  was  the  combat  with  the  lion  that  infested  the  valley  of 
Nemea,  —  the  skin  of  which  Hercules  was  ordered  to  bring  to 
Mycenae.  After  using  in  vain  his  club  and  arrows  against  the 
lion,  Hercules  strangled  the  animal  with  his  hands,  and  returned, 
carrying  its  carcass  on  his  shoulders ;  but  Eurystheus,  frightened 
at  the  sight,  and  at  this  proof  of  the  prodigious  strength  of  the 
hero,  ordered  him  to  deliver  the  account  of  his  exploits,  in  future, 
outside  the  town. 

His  second  labor  was  the  slaughter  of  the  Hydra,  —  a  water- 
serpent  that  ravaged  the  country  of  Argos,  and  dwelt  in  a  swamp 
near  the  well  of  Amymone.  It  had  nine  heads,  of  which  the  mid- 
dle one  was  immortal.  Hercules  struck  off  the  heads  with  his 
club ;  but  in  the  place  of  each  despatched,  two  new  ones  ap- 
peared. At  last,  with  the  assistance  of  his  faithful  nephew  lolaiis, 
he  burned  away  the  heads  of  the  Hydra,  and  buried  the  ninth, 
which  was  immortal,  under  a  rock. 

His  third  labor  was  the  capture  of  a  boar  that  haunted  Mount 
Erymanthus,  in  Arcadia.  The  adventure  was,  in  itself,  successful. 
But  on  the  same  journey  Hercules  made  the  friendship  of  the 
centaur  Pholus,  who  receiving  him  hospitably,  poured  out  for  him 
without  stint  the  choicest  wine  that  the  centaurs  possessed.  As  a 
consequence,  Hercules  became  involved  in  a  broil  with  the  other 
centaurs  of  the  mountain.  Unfortunately,  his  friend  Pholus,  draw- 
ing one  of  the  arrows  of  Hercules  from  a  brother  centaur,  wounded 
himself  therewith,  and  died  of  the  poison. 

The  fourth  labor  of  Hercules  was  the  capture  of  a  wonderful 
stag  of  golden  antlers  and  brazen  hoofs,  that  ranged  the  hills  of  ' 
Cerynea,  between  Arcadia  and  Achaea.  ^ 

His  fifth  labor  was  the  destruction  of  the  Stymphalian  birds, 
which  with  cruel  beaks  and  sharp  talons  harassed  the  inhabitants 
of  the  valley  of  Stymphalus,  devouring  many  of  them. 

His  sixth  labor  was  the  cleaning  of  the  Augean  stables. 
Augeas,  king  of  EUs,  had  a  herd  of  three  thousand  oxen,  whose 


236  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Stalls  had  not  been  cleansed  for  thirty  years.  Hercules  bringing 
the  rivers  Alpheiis  and  Peneiis  through  them,  purified  them 
thoroughly  in  one  day. 

His  seventh  labor  was  the  overthrow  of  the  Cretan  bull,  —  an 
awful  but  beautiful  brute,  at  once  a  gift  and  a  curse  bestowed 
by  Neptune  upon  Minos  of  Crete.'  This  monster  Hercules 
brought  to  Mycenae.  . 

His  eighth  labor  was  the  removal  of  the  horses  of  Diomedes, 
king  of  Thrace.  These -horses  subsisted  on  human  flesh,  were 
swift  and  fearful.  Diomedes,  attempting  to  retain  them,  was 
killed  by  Hercules  and  given  to  the  horses  to  devour.  They 
were,  then,  delivered  to  Eurystheus ;  but,  escaping,  they  roamed 
the  hills  of  Arcadia,  till  the  wild  beasts  of  Apollo  tore  them  to 
pieces. 


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His  ninth  labor  was  of  a  more  delicate  character.  Admeta, 
the  daughter  of  Eurystheus,  desired  the  girdle  of  the  queen  of  the 
Amazons,  and  Eurystheus  ordered  Hercules  to  get  it.  The  Ama- 
zons were  a  nation  dominated  by  warlike  women  ;  and  in  their 
hands  were  many  cities.  It  was  their  custom  to  bring  up  only 
the  female  children,  whom  they  hardened  by  martial  discipline  ; 
the  boys  were  either  despatched  to  the  neighboring  nations  or  put 
to  death.  Hippolyta,  the  queen,  received  Hercules  kindly,  and 
consented  to  yield  him  the  girdle ;  but  Juno,  taking  the  form  of 
an  Amazon,  persuaded  the  people  that  the  strangers  were  carry- 

»  }  149- 


MYTHS   OF  THE    OLDER   HEROES. 


237 


ing  off  their  queen.  They  instantly  armed,  and  beset  the  ship. 
Whereupon  Hercules,  thinking  that  Hippolyta  had  acted  treacher- 
ously, slew  her,  and  taking  her  girdle,  made  sail  homeward. 

The  tenth  task  enjoined  upon  him  was  to  capture  for  Eurystheus 
the  oxen  of  Geryon,  a  monster  with  three  bodies,  who  dwelt  in  the 
island  Erythea  (the  red),  —  so  called  because  it  lay  in  the  west, 
under  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun.  This  description  is  thought 
to  apply  to  Spain,  of  which  Geryon  was  king.  After  traversing 
various  countries,  Hercules  reached  at  length  the  frontiers  of 
Libya  and  Europe,  where  he  raised  the  t\vo  mountains  of  Abyla 
and  Calpe  as  monuments  of  his  progress,  —  the  Pillars  of  Her- 
cules ;  —  or,  according  to  another  account,  rent  one  mountain  into 
two,  and  left  half  on  each  side,  forming  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 
The  oxen  were  guarded  by  the  giant  Eurytion  and  his  two-headed 
dog ;  but  Hercules  killed  the  warders,  and 
conveyed  the  oxen  in  safety  to  Eurys- 
theus. 

The  most  difficult  labor  of  all  was  the 
eleventh,  —  the  robbery  of  the  golden  ap- 
ples of  the  Hesperides.  Hercules  did  not 
know  where  to  find  them  ;  but  after  vari- 
ous adventures,  arrived  at  Mount  Atlas,  in 
Africa.  Since  Atlas  was  the  father  of  the 
Hesperides,  Hercules  thought  he  might 
through  him  obtain  the  apples.  The 
hero,  accordingly,  taking  the  burden  of 
the  heavens  on  his  own  shoulders,^  sent 
Atlas  to  seek  the  apples.  The  giant  re- 
turned with  them,  and  proposed  to  take 
them  himself  to  Eurystheus.  "  Even  so," 
said  Hercules  ;  "  but,  pray,  hold  this  load 
for  me  a  moment,  while  I  procure  a  pad  to  ease  my  shoulders." 
Unsuspectingly  the  giant  resumed  the  burden  of  the  heavens. 
Hercules  took  the  apples. 

1  Atlas  and  the  heavens,  \  136. 


238 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


His  twelfth  exploit  was  to  fetch  Cerberus  from  the  lower 
world.     To  this  end,  he  descended  into  Hades,  accompanied  by 

Mercury  and  Minerva. 
There  he  obtained  per- 
mission from  Pluto  to 
carry  Cerberus  to  the 
upper  air,  provided  he 
could  do  it  without  the 
use  of  weapons.  In 
spite  of  the  monster's 
struggling,  he  seized 
him,  held  him  fast,  car- 
ried him  to  Eurystheus, 
and  afterward  restored 
him  to  the  lower  re- 
gions. While  in  Hades, 
Hercules,  also,  obtained  the  liberty  of  Theseus,  his  admirer  and 
imitator,  who  had  been  detained  there  for  ah  attempt  at  abducting 
Proserpine.^ 

Two  other  exploits  not  recorded  among  the  twelve  labors  are 
the  victories  over  Antaeus  and  Cacus.  Antaeus,  the  son  of  Posidon 
and  Gaea,  was  a  giant  and  wrestler,  whose  strength  was  invincible 
so  long  as  he  remained  in  contact  with  his  mother  Earth.     He 

compelled  all  strangers  who  came  to 
his  country  to  wrestle  with  him,  on 
condition  that  if  conquered,  they 
should  suffer  death.  Hercules  en- 
countered him,  and  finding  that  it 
was  of  no  avail  to  throw  him,  —  for 
he  always  rose  with  renewed  strength 
from  every  fall,  —  lifted  him  up  from 
the  earth,  and  strangled  him  in  the  air. 
Later  writers  tell  of  an  army  of  Pygmies  which,  finding  Her- 
cules asleep  after  his  defeat  of  Antaeus,  made  preparations  to 

1  §  156. 


MYTHS   OF  THE    OLDER  HEROES.  239 

attack  him,  as  if  they  were  about  to  attack  a  city.  But  the  hero, 
awakening,  laughed  at  the  httle  warriors,  wrapped  some  of  them 
up  in  his  Hon's  skin,  and  carried  them  to  Eurystheus. 

Cacus  was  a  giant  who  inhabited  a  cave  on  Mount  Aventine,  and 
plundered  the  surrounding  country.  When  Hercules  was  driving 
home  the  oxen  of  Geryon,  Cacus  stole  part  of  the  cattle,  white 
the  hero  slept.  That  their  footprints  might  not  indicate  where 
they  had  been  driven,  he  dragged  them  backward  by  their  tails 
to  his  cave.  Hercules  was  deceived  by  the  stratagem,  and  would 
have  failed  to  find  his  oxen,  had  it  not  happened  that  while  he 
was  driving  the  remainder  of  the  herd  past  the  cave  where  the 
stolen  ones  were  concealed,  those  within  beginning  to  low,  discov- 
ered themselves  to  him.     Hercules  promptly  despatched  the  thief. 

Through  most  of  these  expeditions  Hercules  was  attended  by 
lolaiis,  his  devoted  friend,  the  son  of  his  half-brother  Iphicles. 

§  140.  On  the  later  exploits  of  the  hero,  we  can  dwell  but 
briefly.  Having,  in  a  fit  of  madness,  killed  his  friend  Iphitus,  he 
was  condemned  for  the  offence  to  spend  three  years  as  the  slave 
of  Queen  Omphale.  He  lived  effeminately,  wearing  at  times  the 
dress  of  a  woman,  and  spinning  wool  with  the  handmaidens  of 
Omphale,  while  the  queen  wore  his  lion's  skin.  But  during  this 
period  he  contrived  to  engage  in  about  as  many  adventures  as 
would  fill  the  life  of  an  ordinary  hero.  He  threw  the  blood- 
thirsty Lityerses  ^  into  the  river  M?eander ;  he  discovered  the 
body  of  Icarus  ^  and  buried  it ;  he  joined  the  company  of  Argo- 
nauts,' who  were  on  their  way  to  Colchis  to  secure  the  golden 
fleece,  and  he  captured  the  thievish  gnomes,  called  Cercopes.*  In 
the  Argonautic  adventure  he  was  attended  by  a  lad,  Hylas,  whom 
he  tenderly  loved,  and  on  whose  account  he  deserted  the  expedition 
in  Mysia. 

§  141.   The  Loss  of  Hylas."  — 

"...  Never  was  Heracles  apart  from  Hylas,  not  when  midnoon  was  high 
in  heaven,  not  when  Dawn  with  her  white  horses  speeds  upwards  to  the  dwell- 

1  Theocritus,  Idyl  X.     Lang's  translation. 

*  }  150.  8  ^  i^^.  4  See  Commentary. 

6  Theocritus,  Idyl  XIII.     Lang's  translation. 


240  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  EXGLISII  LITERATURE. 

ing  of  Zeus,  not  when  the  twittering  nestlings  look  towards  the  perch,  while 
their  mother  flaps  her  wings  above  the  smoke-browned  beam;  and  all  this 
that  the  lad  might  be  fashioned  to  his  mind,  and  might  drive  a  straight  furrow, 
and  come  to  the  true  measure  of  man.  .  .  . 

"And  Hylas  of  the  yellow  hair,  with  a  vessel  of  bronze  in  his  hand,  went 
to  draw  water  against  supper-time,  for  Heracles  himself  and  the  steadfast 
"rtlamon,  for  these  comrades  twain  supped  ever  at  one  table.  Soon  was  he 
ware  of  a  spring,  in  a  hollow  land,  and  the  rushes  grew  thickly  round  it,  and 
dark  swallow-wort,  and  green  maiden-hair,  and  blooming  parsley,  and  deer- 
grass  spreading  through  the  marshy  land.  In  the  midst  of  the  water  the 
nymphs  were  arranging  their  dances,  the  sleepless  nymphs,  dread  goddesses 
of  the  country  people,  Eunice,  and  Malis,  and  Nycheia,  with  her  April  eyes. 
And  now  the  boy  was  holding  out  the  wide-mouthed  pitcher  to  the  water, 
intent  on  dipping  it;  but  the  nymphs  all  clung  to  his  hand,  for  love  of  the 
Argive  lad  had  fluttered  the  soft  hearts  of  all  of  them.  Then  down  he  sank 
into  the  black  water,  headlong  all,  as  when  a  star  shoots  flaming  from  the  sky, 
plumb  in  the  deep  it  falls;  and  a  mate  shouts  out  to  the  seamen,  '  Up  with 
the  gear,  my  lads,  the  wind  is  fair  for  sailing.' 

"Then  the  nymphs  held  the  weeping  boy  on  their  laps,  and  with  gentle 
words  were  striving  to  comfort  him.  But  the  son  of  Amphitryon  was  troubled 
about  the  lad,  and  went  forth,  carrying  his  bended  bow  in  Scythian  fashion, 
and  the  club  that  is  ever  grasped  in  his  right  hand.  Thrice  he  shouted 
'  Hylas ! '  as  loud  as  his  deep  throat  could  call,  and  thrice  again  the  boy  heard 
him,  and  thrice  came  his  voice  from  the  water,  and,  hard  by  though  he  was, 
he  seemed  very  far  away.  And  as  when  a  bearded  lion,  a  ravening  lion  on 
the  hills,  hears  the  bleating  of  a  fawn  afar  off,  and  rushes  forth  from  his  lair 
to  seize  it,  his  readiest  meal,  even  so  the  mighty  Heracles,  in  longing  for  the 
lad,  sped  through  the  trackless  briars,  and  ranged  over  much  country. 

"  Reckless  are  lovers :  great  toils  did  Heracles  bear,  in  hills  and  thickets 
wandering;   and  Jason's  quest  was  all  |)ostponed  to  this.  .  .  . 

"Thus  loveliest  Hylas  is  numbered  with  the  Blessed;  but  for  a  runaway 
they  girded  at  Heracles  —  the  heroes — because  he  roamed  from  Argo  of  the 
sixty  oarsmen.     But  on  foot  he  came  to  Colchis  and  inhospitable  Phasis." 

§  142.  The  Expedition  against  Laomedon.  — After  his  servitude 
under  Omphale  was  ended,  Hercules  sailed  with  eighteen  ships 
against  Troy.  For  Laomedon,  king  of  that  realm,  had  refused  to 
give  Hercules  the  horses  of  Neptune,  which  he  had  promised  in 
gratitude  for  the  rescue  of  his  daughter  Hesione  from  the  sea- 
monster.'     The  hero,  overcoming  Troy,  placed  a  son  of  Laomedon, 

1 J 108. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    OLDER  HEROES.  241 

Priam,  upon  the  throne,  and  gave  Hesione  to  Telamon,  who,  with 
Peleus,  Ofcles,  and  other  Greek  heroes,  had  accompanied  him. 
Also  worthy  of  mention  among  the  exploits  of  Hercules  were  his 
successful  expeditions  against  Pylos  and  Sparta,  his  victory  over 
the  giants,  his  struggle  with  Death  for  the  body  and  life  of  Alcestis,^ 
and  his  delivery,  according  to  prophecy,  of  Prometheus,  who,  until 
that  time,  had  remained  in  chains  upon  the  Caucasian  Mountains.'-' 
§  143.  The  Death  of  Hercules.  —  Finally  the  hero  married 
Dejanira,  daughter  of  Qilneus  of  Calydon,  and  sister  of  Meleager 
of  the  Calydonian  hunt.  With  her  he  lived  happily  three  years. 
But  on  one  occasion,  as  they  journeyed  together,  they  came  to 
a  river,  across  which  the  centaur  Nessus  carried  travellers  for  a 
stated  fee.  Hercules  proceeded  to  ford  the  river,  and  gave 
Dejanira  to  Nessus  to  be  carried  across.  Nessus,  however,  at- 
tempted to  make  off  with  her ;  whereupon  Hercules,  hearing  her 
cries,  shot  an  arrow  into  his  heart.  The  centaur  as  he  died,  bade 
Dejanira  take  a  portion  of  his  blood  and  keep  it,  saying  that  it 
might  be  used  as  a  charm  to  preserve  the  love  of  her  husband. 
Dejanira  did  so.  Before  long,  jealous  of  Hercules'  fondness  for 
lole  of  CEchalia,  a  captive  maiden,  she  steeped  a  sacrificial  robe  of 
her  husband's  in  the  blood  of  Nessus.  As  soon  as  the  garment 
became  warm  on  the  body  of  Hercules,  the  poison  penetrated  his 
limbs.  In  his  frenzy  he  seized  Lichas,  who  had  brought  him  the 
fatal  robe,  and  hurled  him  into  the  sea ;  then  tried  to  wrench  off 
the  garment,  but  it  stuck  to  his  flesh,  and  tore  away  whole  pieces 
of  his  body. 

"  Alcides,  from  CEchalia  crowned 
With  conquest,  felt  the  envenomed  robe,  and  tore, 
THrough  pain,  up  by  the  roots  Thessalian  pines, 
And  Lichas  from  the  top  of  CEta  threw 
Into  the  Euboic  Sea."' 

In  this  state  he  embarked  on  board  a  ship,  and  was  conveyed 
home.  Dejanira,  on  seeing  what  she  had  unwittingly  done,  hanged 
herself.     Hercules,  prepared  to  die,  ascended  Mount  CEta,  where 

^  $  8i-  *  kk  22-25.  *  Milton. 


242  CLASSIC  MYTHS  JN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 

he  built  a  funeral  pile  of  trees,  gave  his  bow  and  arrows  to  Philoc- 
tetes,^  and  laid  himself  upon  the  pile,  his  head  resting  on  his 
club,  and  his  lion's  skin  spread  over  him.  With  a  countenance  as 
serene  as  if  he  were  taking  his  place  at  a  festal  board,  he  com- 
manded Philoctetes  to  apply  the  torch.  The  flames  spread  apace, 
and  soon  invested  the  whole  mass.- 

The  gods  themselves  grieved  to  see  the  champion  of  the  earth 
so  brought  to  his  end.  But  Jupiter  took  care  that  only  his  mother's 
part  in  him  should  perish  by  the  flames.  The  immortal  element, 
derived  from  Jupiter  himself,  was  translated  to  heaven ;  and  by 
the  consent  of  the  gods  — even  of  reluctant  Juno  —  Hercules  was 
admitted  as  a  deity  to  the  ranks  of  the  immortals.  The  white- 
armed  queen  of  heaven  was  finally  reconciled  to  the  offspring  of 
Alcmena.  She  adopted  him  for  her  son,  and  gave  him  in  marriage 
her  daughter  Hebe. 

"  Deep  degraded  to  a  coward's  slave, 
Endless  contests  bore  Alcides  brave, 
Through  the  thorny  path  of  suffering  led; 
Slew  the  Hydra,  crushed  the  lion's  might, 
Threw  himself,  to  bring  his  friend  to  light, 
Living,  in  the  skiff  that  bears  the  dead. 
All  the  torments,  every  toil  of  earth, 
Juno's  hatred  on  him  could  impose. 
Well  he  bore  them,  from  his  fated  birth 
To  life's  grandly  mournful  close. 

"Till  the  god,  the  earthly  part  forsaken. 
From  the  man  in  flames  asunder  taken, 
Drank  the  heavenly  ether's  purer  breath. 
Joyous  in  the  new  unwonted  lightness,       * 
Soared  he  upwards  to  celestial  brightness. 
Earth's  dark  heavy  burden  lost  in  death. 
High  Olympus  gives  harmonious  greeting 
To  the  hall  where  reigns  his  sire  adored; 

1  See  $  169. 

'  See  the  spirited  poems,  Deianeira  and  Herakles,  in  the  classical,  but  too  little 
read,  Epic  of  Hades,  by  Lewis  Morris. 


MYTHS   OF   THE    OLDER  HEROES. 


243 


Youth's  bright  goddess,  with  a  blush  at  meeting, 
Gives  the  nectar  to  her  lord." ' 

Here  we  take  leave  for  a  time  of  the  descendants  of  Inachus. 
We  shall  revert  to  them  in  the  stories  of  Minos  of  Crete  (§  149) 
and  of  the  house  of  Labdacus  (§  158). 

1  Schiller's  Ideal  and  Life.  Translated  l)y  S.  G.  Bulfinch,  brother  of  Thomas 
Bulfinch. 


244  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE    FAMILY    OF   ^EOLUS. 


§  144.  The  Descendants  of  Deucalion. — Athamas,  brother  of 
Sisyphus,  was  descended  from  ^olus,  whose  father,  Hellen,  was 
the  son  of  Deucalion  of  Thessaly.  Athamas  had,  by  his  wife 
Nephele,  two  children,  Phryxus  and  Helle.  After  a  time,  growing 
indifferent  to  his  wife,  Athamas  put  her  away,  and  took  Ino,  the 
daughter  of  Cadmus.  The  unfortunate  sequel  of  this  second 
marriage  we  have  already  seen.* 

Nephele,  apprehending  danger  to  her  children  from  the  influence 
of  their  step-mother,  took  measures  to  put  them  out  of  her  reach. 
Mercury  gave  her  a  ram  with  a  golden  fleece,  on  which  she  set 
the  two  children.  Vaulting  into  the  air,  the  animal  took  his  course 
to  the  East ;  but  when  he  was  crossing  the  strait  that  divides 
Europe  and  Asia,  the  girl  Helle  fell  from  his  back  into  the  sea, 
which  from  her  was  afterward  called  the  Hellespont  —  now  the 
Dardanelles.  The  ram  safely  landed  the  boy  Phryxus  in  Colchis, 
where  he  was  hospitably  received  by  ^etes,  the  king  of  that  coun- 
try. Phryxus  sacrificed  the  ram  to  Jupiter,  but  the  fleece  he  gave 
to  .^etes,  who  placed  it  in  a  consecrated  grove,  under  the  care  of 
a  sleepless  dragon.^ 

§  145.  The  Quest  of  the  Golden  Fleece.''  —  Another  realm  in 
Thessaly,  near  to  that  of  Athamas,  was  ruled  over  by  his  nephew 
vEson.  .^son,  although  he  had  a  son  Jason,  surrendered  the 
crown  to  a  half-brother,  Pelias,*  on  condition  that  he  should  hold 
it  only  during  the  minority  of  the  lad.  This  young  Jason  was, 
by  the  way,  a  second  cousin  of  Bellerophon  and  of  the  Atalanta 

1  }  129.  3  Apollod.  I.  9.  {  I ;  Apollon.  Rhod.  i :  927. 

'  Ovid,  Metam.  6 :  667 ;  7 :  143.   The  Argonautica  of  Apollonius  of  Rhodes. 
*  See  §  109. 


THE  FAMILY  OF  AiOLUS.  245 

who  ran  against  Hippomenes,  and  a  first  cousin  of  Adraetus,  the 
husband  of  /Vlcestis.'  When,  however,  Jason,  being  grown  up, 
came  to  demand  the  crown,  his  uncle  Pehas  with  wily  intent, 
suggested  to  him  the  glorious  (juest  of  the  golden  fleece.  Jason, 
pleased  with  the  thought,  forthwith  made  preparations  for  the  ex- 
pedition. At  that  time  the  only  species  of  navigation  known  to  the 
Greeks  consisted  of  small  boats  or  canoes  hollowed  out  from  trunks 
of  trees ;  when,  accordingly,  Jason  employed  Argus  to  build  a 
vessel  capable  of  containing  fifty  men,  it  was  considered  a  gigantic 
undertaking.  The  vessel  was  named  Argo,  probably  after  its 
builder.  Jason  soon  found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  bold  band 
of  comrades,  many  of  whom  afterward  were  renowned  among  the 
heroes  and  demigods  of  Greece. 

From  every  region  of  /Egea's  shore 
The  brave  assembled;    those  illustrious  twins 
Castor  and  Pollux;    Orpheus,  tuneful  bard; 
Zetes  and  Calais,  as  the  wind  in  speed; 
Strong  Hercules  and  many  a  chief  renowned. 
On  deep  lolcos'  sandy  shore  they  thronged, 
Gleaming  in  armor,  ardent  of  exploits, — 
And  soon,  the  laurel  cord  and  the  huge  stone 
Uplifting  to  the  deck,  unmoored  the  bark; 
Whose  keel  of  wondrous  length  the  skilful  hand 
Of  Argus  fashioned  for  the  proud  attempt; 
And  in  the  extended  keel  a  lofty  mast 
Upraised,  and  sails  full  swelling;    to  the  chiefs 
Unwonted  objects.     Now  first,  now  they  learned 
Their  bolder  steerage  over  ocean  wave, 
Led  by  the  golden  stars,  as  Chiron's  art 
Had  marked  the  sphere  celestial."^ 

Theseus,  Meleager,  Peleus,  and  Nestor  were  also  among  these 
Argonauts,  or  sailors  of  the  Argo.  The  ship  with  her  crew  of 
heroes  left  the  shores  of  Thessaly,  and  touching  at  the  island  of 
Lemnos,  thence  crossed  to  Mysia  and  thence  to  Thrace.     Here 

1  Sec  genealogical  table.  §  97,  Commentary. 

2  Dyer  The  ?"leece. 


246 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


they  found  the  sage  Phineus,  who  instructed  the  Argonauts  how 
they  might  pass  the  Symplegades,  or  Clashing  Islands,  at  the 
entrance  of  the  Euxine  Sea.  When  they  reached  these  islands, 
they,  accordingly,  let  go  a  dove,  which  took  her  way  between  the 
rocks,  and  passed  in  safety,  only  losing  some  feathers  of  her  tail. 
Jason  and  his  men,  seizing  the  favorable  moment  of  the  rebound, 
plied  their  oars  with  vigor,  and  passed  safe  through,  though  the 
islands  closed  behind  them,  and  actually  grazed  the  stern  of  the 
vessel.  They  then  rowed  along  the  shore  till  they  arrived  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  sea,  and  so  landed  in  the  kingdom  of 
Colchis. 


Jason  made  known  his  message  to  the  Colchian  king,  y^etes, 
who  consented  to  give  up  the  golden  fleece  on  certain  conditions  : 
namely,  that  Jason  should  yoke  to  the  plough  two  fire-breathing 
bulls  with  brazen  feet ;  and  that  he,  then,  should  sow  the  teeth  of 
the  dragon  that  Cadmus  had  slain.  Jason,  although  it  was  well 
known  that  a  crop  of  armed  men  would  spring  up  from  the  teeth, 
destined  to  turn  their  weapons  against  their  producer,  accepted 
the  conditions;  and  a  time  was  set  for  the  undertaking.  The 
hero,  however,  wisely  spent  the  interval  in  wooing  Medea,  the 
daughter  of  ^Eetes  ;  and  with  such  success  that  they  plighted  troth 
before  the  altar  of  Hecate.  The  princess  then  furnished  her  hero 
with  a  charm  which  should  aid  him  in  the  contest  to  come. 

Accordingly,  when  the  momentous  day  was  arrived,  Jason,  with 
calmness,  encountered  the  fire-breathing  monsters,  and  speedily 


THE  FAMILY  OF  yEOLUS.  247 

yoked  them  to  the  plough.  The  Colchians  stood  in  amazement ; 
the  Greeks  shouted  for  joy.  Next,  the  hero  proceeded  to  sow  the 
dragon's  teeth  and  plough  them  in.  Up  sprang,  according  to  pre- 
diction, the  crop  of  armed  men,  brandished  aloft  their  weapons, 
and  rushed  upon  Jason.  The  Greeks  trembled  for  their  hero. 
Medea  herself  grew  pale  with  fear.  The  hero,  himself,  for  a  time, 
with  sword  and  shield,  kept  his  assailants  at  bay ;  but  he  surely 
would  have  been  overwhelmed  by  the  numbers  had  he  not  resorted 
to  a  charm  which  Medea  had  taught  him  :  seizing  a  stone,  he 
threw  it  in  the  midst  of  his  foes.  Immediately  they  turned  their 
arms  against  one  another,  and  soon  there  was  not  one  of  the 
dragon's  brood  alive. 

It  remained  only  to  lull  to  sleep  the  dragon  that  guarded  the 
fleece.  This  was  done  by  scattering  over  him  a  few  drops  of  a 
preparation,  which,  again,  Medea  had  supplied.  Jason  then  seized 
the  fleece,  and  with  his  friends  and  his  sweetheart  accompanying, 
hastened  to  the  vessel.  It  is  said  that,  in  order  to  delay  the  pur- 
suit of  her  father  .^^>tes,  Medea  tore  to  pieces  her  young  brother 
Absyrtus,  and  strewed  fragments  of  him  along  the  line  of  their 
flight.  The  ruse  succeeded.  The  Argonauts  arrived  safe  in 
Thessaly.  Jason  delivered  the  fleece  to  Pelias,  and  dedicated  the 
Argo  to  Neptune. 

§  146.  Medea  and  ^son.'  —  Medea's  career  as  a  sorceress  was, 
by  no  means,  completed.  At  Jason's  request,  she  undertook  next 
to  restore  his  aged  father  ^son  to  the  vigor  of  youth.  To  the 
full  moon  she  addressed  her  incantations,  to  the  stars,  to  Hecate, 
to  Tellus,  the  goddess  of  the  earth.  In  a  chariot  borne  aloft  by 
dragons,  she  traversed  the  fields  of  air  to  regions  where  flourished 
potent  plants,  which  only  she  knew  how  to  select.  Nine  nights 
she  employed  in  her  search,  and  during  that  period  shunned  all 
intercourse  with  mortals. 

Next  she  erected  two  altars,  the  one  to  Hecate,  the  other  to 
Hebe,  and  sacrificed  a  black  sheep,  —  pouring  libations  of  milk 
and  wine.     She  implored  Pluto  and  his  stolen  bride  to  spare  the 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  7  :  143-293. 


248  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

old  man's  life.  Then  she  directed  that  ^Eson  be  led  forth  ;  and 
throwing  him  into  a  deep  sleep,  she  laid  him  on  a  bed  of  herbs, 
like  one  dead.  No  eye  profane  looked  upon  her  mysteries.  With 
streaming  hair,  thrice  she  moved  round  the  altars,  dipped  flaming 
twigs  in  the  blood,  and  laid  them  thereon  to  burn.  Meanwhile 
the  caldron  with  its  contents  was  preparing.  In  it  she  put  magic 
herbs,  with  seeds  and  flowers  of  acrid  juice,  stones  from  the  dis- 
tant East,  and  sand  from  the  shore  of  all-surrounding  ocean,  hoar 
frost  —  gathered  by  moonlight,  a  screech  owl's  head  and  wings, 
and  the  entrails  of  a  wolf.  She  added  fragments  of  the  shells  of 
tortoises  and  the  liver  of  stags  —  animals  tenacious  of  life  —  and 
the  head  and  beak  of  a  crow,  which  outlives  nine  generations 
of  men.  These,  with  many  other  things  "  without  a  name,"  she 
boiled  together  for  her  purposed  work,  stirring  them  with  a  dry 
olive  branch.  The  branch  when  taken  out  instantly  was  green, 
and  erelong  was  covered  with  leaves  and  a  plentiful  growth  of 
young  olives ;  and  as  the  liquor  boiled  and  bubbled,  and  some- 
times bubbled  over,  the  grass  wherever  the  sprinklings  fell  leaped 
into  verdure  like  that  of  spring. 

Seeing  that  all  was  ready,  Medea  cut  the  throat  of  the  old  man, 
let  out  his  blood,  and  poured  into  his  mouth  and  his  wound  the 
juices  of  her  caldron.  As  soon  as  he  had  completely  imbibed 
them,  his  hair  and  beard  lost  their  whiteness,  and  assumed  the 
color  of  youth  ;  his  paleness  and  emaciation  were  gone  ;  his  veins 
were  full  of  blood,  his  limbs  of  vigor  and  robustness ;  and  .^son, 
on  awakening,  found  himself  forty  years  younger. 

§  147.  Pelias.*  —  In  another  instance,  Medea  made  her  arts 
the  instrument  of  revenge.  Pelias,  the  usurping  uncle  of  Jason, 
still  kept  him  out  of  his  heritage.  But  the  daughters  of  Pelias 
wished  Medea  to  restore  their  father  also  to  youth.  Medea  simu- 
lated consent,  but  prepared  her  caldron  for  him  in  a  new  and 
singular  way.  She  put  in  only  water  and  a  few  simple  herbs.  In 
the  night  she  persuaded  the  daughters  of  Pelias  to  kill  him. 
They,  at  first,  hesitated  to  strike,  but,  Medea  chiding  their  irreso- 
1  Ovid,  Metam.  7 :  297-353. 


THE  FAMILY  OF  ^EOLUS.  249 

lution,  they  turned  away  their  faces  and,  giving  random  blows, 
smote  him  with  their  weapons.  Starting  from  his  sleep,  the  old 
man  cried  out,  "My  daughters,  would  you  kill  your  father?" 
Whereat  their  hearts  fiiiled  them,  and  the  weapons  fell  from 
their  hands.     Medea,  however,  struck  the  fatal  blow. 

They  placed  him  in  the  caldron,  but,  as  might  be  expected, 
with  no  success.  Medea  herself  had  taken  care  to  escape  before 
they  discovered  the  treachery.  She  had,  however,  little  profit  of 
the  fruits  of  her  crime.  Jason,  for  whom  she  had  sacrificed  so 
much,  put  her  away,  for  he  wished  to  marry  Creiisa,  princess  of 
Corinth.  Whereupon  Medea,  enraged  at  his  ingratitude,  called 
on  the  gods  for  vengeance  :  then,  sending  a  poisoned  robe  as  a 
gift  to  the  bride,  killing  her  own  children,  and  setting  fire  to  the 
palace,  she  mounted  her  serpent-drawn  chariot  and  fled  to  Athens. 
There  she  married  King  /Egeus,  the  father  of  Theseus ;  and 
we  shall  meet  her  again  when  we  come  to  the  adventures  of 
that  hero.^ 

The  incantation  of  Medea  readily  suggests  that  of  the  witches  in 
Macbeth  :  — 

'Round  about  the  caldron  go; 
In  the  poisoned  entrails  throw. — 
Toad,  that  under  cold  stone 
Days  and  nights  hast  thirty-one 
Sweltering  venom  sleeping  got, 
Boil  thou  first  i'  the  charmed  pot. 
.  .  .  Fillet  of  a  fenny  snake 
In  the  caldron  boil  and  bake; 
Eye  of  newt  and  toe  of  frog, 
Wool  of  bat  and  tongue  of  dog, 
Adder's  fork  and  blind-worm's  sting, 
Lizard's  leg,  and  howlet's  wing, — 
For  a  charm  of  powerful  trouble 
Like  a  hell-broth  boil  and  bubble.  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Scale  of  dragon;    tooth  of  wolf; 
Witches'  mummy;    maw  and  gulf 
Of  the  ravin  salt-sea  shark; 
Root  of  hemlock  digged  in  the  dark."^ 

1  §  152.  -  Macbeth,  Act  IV,  i.    Consult. 


250  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

THE    FAMILY    OF   iETOLUS. 

§  148.  The  Calydonian  Hunt.'  —  One  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Argonautic  expedition  had  been  JNIeleager,  a  son  of  CEneus  and 
Althaea,  rulers  of  Calydon  in  ^tolia.  His  parents  were  cousins, 
descended  from  a  son  of  Endymion  named  ^tolus,  who  had  col- 
onized that  realm.  By  ties  of  kinship  and  marriage  they  were 
allied  with  many  historic  figures.  Their  daughter  Dejanira  had 
become,  as  we  have  already  noted,  the  wife  of  Hercules  ;  -  while 
Leda,  the  sister  of  Althaea,  was  mother  of  Castor  and  Pollux,^ 
and  of  Clytemnestra  and  Helen,  intimately  concerned  in  the 
Trojan  War. 

When  her  son  Meleager  was  born,  Althaea  had  beheld  the  three 
Destinies,  who,  as  they  spun  their  fatal  thread,  foretold  that  the  life 
of  the  child  should  last  no  longer  than  a  certain  brand  then  burning 
upon  the  hearth.  Althaea  seized  and  quenched  the  brand,  and 
carefully  preserved  it,  while  Meleager  grew  to  boyhood,  youth, 
and  man's  estate.  It  chanced,  then,  that  Qlneus,  offering  sacrifices 
to  the  gods,  omitted  to  pay  due  honors  to  Diana ;  wherefore  she, 
indignant  at  the  neglect,  sent  a  boar  of  enormous  size  to  lay  waste 
the  fields  of  Calydon.  Meleager  called  on  the  heroes  of  Greece 
to  join  in  a  hunt  for  the  ravenous  monster.  Theseus  and  his 
friend  Pirithoiis,*  Jason,'  Peleus,^  the  father  of  Achilles,  Telamon,^ 
the  father  of  Ajax,  Nestor,*  then  a  youth,  but  who  in  his  age  bore 
arms  with  Achilles  and  Ajax  in  the  Trojan  War,®  —  these  and  many 


1  Ovid,  Metam.  8 :  260-546. 

6  \!^  145.  165, 

2  k  143- 

"  k  142- 

3  ^\  165, 166. 

8  $J  145.  167. 

4  $  156. 

9  \\  167,  168. 

Mms. 

THE  FAMILY  OF  yETOLUS. 


251 


With  them  came,  also,  Atalanta, 


more*  joined  in  the  enterprise, 
the  daugiiter  of  lasius,  — 

Arcadian  Atalanta,  snowy-sonled, 

Fair  as  the  snow  and  footed  as  the  wind.^ 

A  buckle  of  polished  gold  confined  her  vest,  an  ivory  quiver  hung 
on  her  left  shoulder,  and  her  left  hand  bore  the  bow.  Her  face 
blended  feminine  beauty  with  the  graces  of  martial  youth.  Meleager 
saw,  and  with  chivalric  reverence,  somewhat  thus  addressed  her :  — 

"  For  thy  name's  sake  and  awe  toward  thy  chaste  head, 
O  holiest  Atalanta  I    no  man  dares 
Praise  thee,  though  fairer  than  whom  all  men  praise. 
And  godlike  for  thy  grace  of  hallowed  hair 
And  holy  habit  of  thine  eyes,  and  feet 
That  make  the  blown  foam  neither  swift  nor  white. 
Though  the  wind  winnow  and  whirl  it;    yet  we  praise 
Gods,  found  because  of  thee  adorable 
And  for  thy  sake  praiseworthiest  from  all  men: 
Thee  therefore  we  praise  also,  thee  as  these. 
Pure,  and  a  light  lit  at  the  hands  of  gods."  ^ 


But  there  was  no  time  then  for  love  :  on  to  the  hunt  they  pushed. 
To  the  hunt  went,  also,  Plexippus  and  Toxeus,  brothers  of  Queen 
Althaea,  braggarts,  envious  of  Meleager.  Speedily  the  hunters  drew 
near  the  monster's  lair.  They  stretched  strong  nets  from  tree  to 
tree  ;  they  uncoupled  their  dogs  ;  they  sought  the  footprints  of  their 
quarry  in  the  grass.     From  the  wood  was  a  descent  to  marshy 

1  From  Swinburne's  Atalanta  in  Calvdon. 


252  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 

ground.  Here  the  boar,  as  he  lay  among  the  reeds,  heard  the 
shouts  of  his  pursuers,  and  rushed  forth  against  them.  One  and 
another  is  thrown  down  and  slain.  Jason,  Nestor,  Telamon  open 
the  attack,  but  in  vain. 

.  .  .  Then  all  abode  save  one, 
The  Arcadian  Atalanta:    from  her  side 
Sprang  her  hounds,  laboring  at  the  leash,  and  slipped. 
And  plashed  ear-deep  with  plunging  feet;    but  she 
Saying,  "  Speed  it  as  I  send  it  for  thy  sake, 
Goddess,"  drew  bow  and  loosed;    the  sudden  string 
Rang,  and  sprang  inward,  and  the  waterish  air 
Hissed,  and  the  moist  plumes  of  the  songless  reeds 
Moved  as  a  wave  which  the  wind  moves  no  more. 
But  the  boar  heaved  half  out  of  ooze  and  slime, 
His  tense  flank  trembling  round  the  barbed  wound, 
Hateful;    and  fiery  with  invasive  eyes, 
And  bristling  with  intolerable  hair, 

Plunged,  and  the  hounds  clung,  and  green  flowers  and  white 
Reddened  and  broke  all  round  them  where  they  came.^ 

It  was  a  slight  wound,  but  Meleager  saw  and  joyfully  proclaimed 
it.  The  attack  was  renewed.  Peleus,  Amphiaraiis,  Theseus,  Jason, 
hurled  their  lances.  Ancaeus  was  laid  low  by  a  mortal  wound. 
But  Meleager,  — 

Rock-rooted,  fair  with  fierce  and  fastened  Hps, 

Clear  eyes  and  springing  muscle  and  shortening  limb  — 

With  chin  aslant  indrawn  to  a  tightening  throat, 

Grave,  and  with  gathered  sinews,  like  a  god, — 

Aimed  on  the  left  side  his  well  handled  spear, 

Grasped  where  the  ash  was  knottiest  hewn,  and  smote, 

And  with  no  missile  wound,  the  monstrous  boar 

Right  in  the  hairiest  hollow  of  his  hide. 

Under  the  last  rib,  sheer  through  bulk  and  bone, 

Deep  in;    and  deeply  smitten,  and  to  death, 

The  heavy  horror  with  his  hanging  shafts 

Leapt,  and  fell  furiously,  and  from  raging  lips 

Foamed  out  the  latest  wrath  of  all  his  life.^ 

^  From  Swinburne's  Atalanta  in  Calydon. 


THE  'FAMILY   OF  ^TOLUS.  253 

Then  rose  a  shout  from  those  around ;  they  glorified  the  con- 
queror, —  crowded  to  touch  his  hand.  But  he,  placing  his  foot 
upon  the  head  of  the  slain  boar,  turned  to  Atalanta,  and  bestowed 
on  her  the  head  and  the  rough  hide  —  trophies  of  his  success. 
Thereat  she  laughed  — 

Lit  with  a  low  blush  to  the  braided  hair, 

And  rose-colored  and  cold  like  very  dawn. 

Golden  and  godlike,  chastely  with  chaste  lips, 

A  faint  grave  laugh;    and  all  they  held  their  peace, 

And  she  passed  by  them.     Then  one  cried,  "  Lo  now. 

Shall  not  the  Arcadian  shoot  out  lips  at  us, 

Saying  all  we  were  despoiled  by  this  one  girl?*' 

And  all  they  rode  against  her  violently 

And  cast  the  fresh  crown  from  her  hair,  and  now 

They  had  rent  her  spoil  away,  dishonoring  her. 

Save  that  Meleager,  as  a  tame  lion  chafed, 

Bore  on  them,  broke  them,  and  as  fire  cleaves  wood. 

So  clove  and  drove  them,  smitten  in  twain;    but  she 

Smote  not  nor  heaved  up  hand;    and  this  man  first, 

Plexippus,  crying  out,  "  This  for  love's  sake.  Sweet," 

Drove  at  Meleager,  who  with  spear  straightening 

Pierced  his  cheek  through ;    then  Toxeus  made  for  him. 

Dumb,  but  his  spear  shake;    vain  and  violent  words, 

Fruitless;    for  him,  too,  stricken  through  both  sides 

The  earth  felt  falling,  .  .  . 

.  .  .     And  these  being  slain, 

None  moved,  nor  spake.^ 

Of  this  fearful  sequel  to  the  hunt,  Althaea  has  heard  nothing. 
As  she  bears  thank-offering  to  the  temples  for  the  victory  of  her 
son,  the  bodies  of  her  murdered  brothers  meet  her  sight.  She 
shrieks,  and  beats  her  breast,  and  hastens  to  change  the  garments 
of  joy  for  those  of  mourning.  But  when  the  author  of  the  deed 
is  known,  grief  gives  way  to  the  stem  desire  of  vengeance  on 
her  son.  The  fatal  brand,  which  the  Destinies  have  Hnked  with 
Meleager's  life,  she  brings  forth.  She  commands  a  fire  to  be  pre- 
pared.    Four  times  she  essays  to  place  the  brand  upon  the  pile ; 

1  From  Swinburne's  Atalanta  in  Calydon. 


254  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

four  times  draws  back,  shuddering  before  the  destruction  of  her 
son.  The  feelings  of  the  mother  and  the  sister  contend  within 
her.  Now  she  is  pale  at  the  thought  of  the  purposed  deed,  now 
flushed  again  with  anger  at  the  violence  of  her  offspring.  Finally 
the  sister  prevails  over  the  mother  :  —  turning  away  her  face,  she 
throws  the  fatal  wood  upon  the  burning  pile.  Meleager,  absent 
and  unconscious  of  the  cause,  feels  a  sudden  pang.  He  burns ; 
he  calls  upon  those  whom  he  loves,  Atalanta  and  his  mother.  But 
speedily  the  brand  is  ashes,  and  the  life  of  Meleager  is  breathed 
forth  to  the  wandering  winds. 

When,  at  last,  the  deed  was  done,  the  mother  laid  violent  hands 
upon  herself. 


THE  HOUSE    OF  MIXOS.  255 


CHAPTER    XX. 

THE    HOUSE   OF   MINOS. 

§  149.  Minos  of  Crete  was  a  descendant  of  Inachus,  in  the 
sixth  generation.  A  son  of  Jupiter  and  Europa,  he  was,  after 
death,  transferred,  with  his  brother  Rhadamanthus  and  with  King 
.^acus,  to  Hades,  where  the  three  became  judges  of  the  Shades. 
This  is  the  Minos  mentioned  by  Homer  and  Hesiod,  —  the  eminent 
law-giver.  Of  his  grandson,  Minos  H.,  it  is  related  that  when 
aiming  at  the  crown  of  Crete,  he  boasted  of  his  power  to  obtain 
by  prayer  whatever  he  desired ;  and  as  a  test,  he  implored  Nep- 
tune to  send  him  a  bull  for  sacrifice.  The  bull  appeared ;  but 
Minos,  astonished  at  its  great  beauty,  declined  to  sacrifice  the 
brute.  tNeptune,  therefore  incensed,  drove  the  bull  wild,  —  worse 
still,  drove  Pasiphae,  the  wife  of  Minos,  wild  with  love  of  it. 
The  wonderful  brute  was  finally  caught  and  overcome  by  Her- 
cules, who  rode  it  through  the  waves  to  Greece.  But  its  offspring, 
the  Minotaur,  a  monster,  bull-headed  and  man-bodied,  remained, 
for  many  a  day,  a  terror  to  Crete,  —  till  finally  a  famous  artificer, 
Daedalus,  constructed  for  him  a  labyrinth,  with  passages  and  turn- 
ings winding  in  and  about  like  the  river  Maeander,  so  that  whoever 
was  enclosed  in  it  might  by  no  means  find  his  way  out.  The 
Minotaur,  roaming  therein,  lived  upon  human  victims.  For,  it  is 
said  that,  after  Minos  had  subdued  Megara,'  a  tribute  of  seven 
youths  and  seven  maidens  was  sent  every  year  from  Athens  to 
Crete  to  feed  this  monster ;  and  it  was  not  until  the  days  of  The- 
seus of  Athens  that  an  end  was  put  to  both  tribute  and  Minotaur.* 

1  §  t28. 

*  \  152.  ApoUod.  3.  1.  §  3 ;  15,  {  8 ;  Pausanias,  i.  27.  §  9,  etc. ;  Ovid,  Metam. 
7:456- 


256 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 


§  150.    Daedalus  and  Icarus/  —  Daedalus,  who  abetted  the  love 

of  Pasiphae  for  the  Cretan  bull,  afterwards  lost  the  favor  of  Minos, 

and  was  imprisoned  by  him.  See- 
ing no  other  way  of  escape,  the 
artificer  made,  out  of  feathers,  wings 
for  his  son  Icarus  and  himself,  which 
he  fastened  on  with  wax.  Then 
poising  themselves  in  the  air,  they 
flew  away.  Icarus  had  been  warned 
not  to  approach  too  near  to  the  sun, 
and  all  went  well  till  they  had  passed 
Samos  and  Delos  on  the  left  and 
Lebynthos  on  the  right.  But  then 
the  boy,  exulting  in  his  career,  soared 
upward.      The  blaze  of  the  torrid 

sun  softened  the  waxen  fastenings  of  his  wings.     Off  they  came ; 

and   down   the  lad  dropped   into   the   sea,  which   after  him  is 

named  Icarian. 

"...  with  melting  wax  and  loosened  strings  * 

Sunk  hapless  Icarus  on  unfaithful  wings; 
Headlong  he  rushed  through  the  affrighted  air, 
With  limbs  distorted  and  dishevelled  hair; 
His  scattered  plumage  danced  upon  the  wave. 
And  sorrowing  Nereids  decked  his  watery  grave; 
O'er  his  pale  corse  their  pearly  sea- flowers  shed. 
And  strewed  with  crimson  moss  his  marble  bed; 
Struck  in  their  coral  towers  the  passing  bell, 
And  wide  in  ocean  tolled  his  echoing  knell."* 

Daedalus,  mourning  his  son,  arrived  finally  in  Sicily,  where, 
being  kindly  received  by  King  Cocalus,  he  built  a  temple  to 
Apollo,  and  hung  up  his  wings,  an  offering  to  the  god.  But 
Minos,  having  learned  of  the  hiding-place  of  the  artificer,  fol- 
lowed him  to  Sicily  with  a  great  fleet ;  and  Daedalus  would  surely 


1  Vergil,  iEneid  6: 14-34;  Ovid,  Metam.  8: 152-259;  Hyginus,  Fab.  40,  44. 

2  Darwin. 


THE  HOUSE    OF  MINOS.  257 

have  perished  had  not  one  of  the  daughters  of  Cocalus  disposed 
of  Minos  by  scalding  him  to  death  while  he  was  bathing. 

It  is  said  that  Daedalus  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  a  rival.  His 
sister  had  placed  her  son  Perdix  under  his  charge  to  be  taught 
the  mechanical  arts.  He  was  an  apt  scholar,  and  gave  striking 
evidences  of  ingenuity.  Walking  on  the  seashore,  he  picked  up 
the  spine  of  a  fish,  and  imitating  it  in  iron,  invented  the  saw. 
He  invented,  also,  a  pair  of  compasses.  But  Daedalus,  envious  of 
his  nephew,  pushed  him  off  a  tower,  and  killed  him.  Minerva, 
however,  in  pity  of  the  boy,  changed  him  into  a  bird,  the  partridge, 
which  bears  his  name. 

To  the  descendants  of  Inachus  we  shall  again  return  in  the 
account  of  the  house  of  Labdacus. 


258  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE   DESCENDANTS  OF   CECROPS    AND    ERICHTHONIUS. 

§  151.  Cecrops'  and  Erichthonius.^ — Cecrops,  half-snake,  half- 
man,  came  from  Crete  or  Egypt  into  Attica,  founded  Athens,  and 
chose  Minerva  rather  than  Neptune  as  its  guardian.  His  suc- 
cessor was  Erichthonius,  or  Erechtheus,  a  snake-formed  genius  of 
the  fertile  soil  of  Attica.  This  Erichthonius  ^  was  a  special  ward 
of  the  goddess  Minerva,  who  brought  him  up  in  her  temple.  His 
son  Pandion  had  two  daughters,  Procne  and  Philomela,  of  whom 
he  gave  the  former  in  marriage  to  Tereus,  king  of  Thrace  (or  of 
Daulis  in  Phocis).  This  ruler,  after  his  wife  had  borne  him  a  son 
Itys  (or  Itylus),  wearied  of  her,  plucked  out  her  tongue  by  the 
roots  to  ensure  her  silence,  and,  pretending  that  she  was  dead, 
took  in  marriage  the  other  sister,  Philomela.  Procne  by  means 
of  a  web,  into  which  she  wove  her  story,  informed  Philomela 
of  the  horrible  truth.  In  revenge  upon  Tereus,  the  sisters  killed 
Itylus,  and  served  up  the  child  as  food  to  the  father ;  but  the 
gods,  in  indignation,  transformed  Procne  into  a  swallow,  Philomela 
into  a  nightingale,  forever  bemoaning  the  murdered  Itylus,  and 
Tereus  into  a  hawk,  forever  pursuing  the  sisters.^ 

"Hark!    ah,  the  nightingale  — 
The  tawny-throated ! 

Hark,  from  that  moonlit  cedar  what  a  burst ! 
What  triumph  !    hark  !  —  what  pain  ! 
O  wanderer  from  a  Grecian  shore, 

1  Ovid,  Metam,  2 ;  555 ;  Apollod.  3  :  14,  §  i ;  Pausanias ;  and  Hyginus,  Fab.  48. 

2  Ovid,  Metam.  2:554;  6:676;  Homer,  II.  2:547;  Od.  7:81;  Hyginus,  Poet. 
Astr.  2 :  13. 

8  For  Ruskin's  interpretation,  see  Queen  of  the  Air,  \  38. 
*  Apollod.  3  :  14,  \  8 ;  Ovid,  Metam.  6  :  412-676. 


DESCENDANTS  OF  CECROPS  AND  ERICHTHONIUS.     259 

Still,  after  many  years  in  distant  lands, 

Still  nourishing  in  thy  bewilder'd  brain 

That  wild,  unquench'd,  deep-sunken,  old-world  pain  — 

Say,  will  it  never  heal? 

And  can  this  fragrant  lawn 

With  its  cool  trees,  and  night. 

And  the  sweet,  tranquil  Thames, 

And  moonshine,  and  the  dew, 

To  thy  rack'd  heart  and  brain 

Afford  no  calm? 

"  Dost  thou  to-night  behold. 
Here,  through  the  moonlight  on  this  English  grass, 
The  unfriendly  palace  in  the  Thracian  wild? 
Dost  thou  again  peruse. 
With  hot  cheeks  and  sear'd  eyes, 
The  too  clear  web,  and  thy  dumb  sister's  shame? 
Dost  thou  once  more  assay 
Thy  flight,  and  feel  come  over  thee. 
Poor  fugitive,  the  feathery  change 
Once  more,  and  once  more  seem  to  make  resound 
With  love  and  hate,  triimiph  and  agony. 
Lone  Daulis,  and  the  high  Cephissian  vale? 
Listen,  Eugenia  — 

How  thick  the  bursts  come  crowding  through  the  leaves! 
Again  —  thou  hearest? 
Eternal  passion ! 
Eternal  pain  !  "  ^ 

§  152.  Theseus.-  —  A  descendant  of  Erechtheus  and  Pandion 
was  i^geus,  king  of  Athens.  By  ^thra,  granddaughter  of  Pelops, 
he  became  the  father  of  the  Attic  hero,  Theseus,  ^geus,  on  part- 
ing from  /Ethra,  before  the  birth  of  the  child,  had  placed  his  sword 
and  shoes  under  a  large  stone,  and  had  directed  her  to  send  the 
child  to  him  if  it  should  prove  strong  enough  to  roll  away  the  stone 
and  take  what  was  under.  The  lad  Theseus  was  brought  up  at 
Troezen,  of  which  Pittheus,  ^thra's  father,  was  king.  When  ^thra 
thought  the  time  had  come,  she  led  Theseus  to  the  stone.     He 

1  Matthew  Arnold,  Philomela. 

*  Ovid,  Metam.  7 :  350-424 ;  Plutarch's  Theseus. 


260  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

removed  it  with  ease,  and  took  the  sword  and  shoes.  Since,  at 
that  time,  the  roads  were  infested  with  robbers,  his  grandfather 
Pittheus  pressed  him  earnestly  to  take  the  shorter  and  safer  way 
to  his  father's  country,  by  sea ;  but  the  youth,  feehng  in  himself 
the  spirit  and  the  soul  of  a  hero,  and  eager  to  signalize  himself  like 
Hercules,  determined  on  the  more  perilous  and  adventurous  jour- 
ney by  land. 

His  first  day's  journey  brought  him  to  Epidaurus,  where  dwelt 
Periphetes,  a  son  of  Vulcan.  This  ferocious  savage  always  went 
armed  with  a  club  of  iron,  and  all  travellers  stood  in  terror  of  his 
violence ;  but  beneath  the  blows  of  the  young  hero  he  speedily 
feU. 

Several  similar  contests  with  the  petty  tyrants  and  marauders  of 
the  country  followed,  in  all  of  which  Theseus  was  victorious.  Most 
important  was  his  slaughter  of  Procrustes,  or  the  Stretcher.  This 
giant  had  an  iron  bedstead,  on  which  he  used  to  tie  all  travellers 
who  fell  into  his  hands.  If  they  were  shorter  than  the  bed,  he 
stretched  them  till  they  fitted  it ;  if  they  were  longer  than  the 
bed,  he  lopped  off  their  limbs.  * 

In  the  course  of  time,  Theseus  reached  Athens ;  but  here  new 
dangers  awaited  him.  For  Medea,  the  sorceress,  who  had  fled 
from  Corinth  after  her  separation  from  Jason,^  had  become  the 
wife  of  ^geus.  Knowing  by  her  arts  who  the  stranger  was,  and 
fearing  the  loss  of  her  influence  with  her  husband,  if  Theseus 
should  be  acknowledged  as  his  son,  she  tried  to  poison  the  youth ; 
but  the  sword  which  he  wore  discovered  him  to  his  father,  and 
prevented  the  fatal  draught.  Medea  fled  to  Asia,  where  the 
country  afterwards  called  Media  is  said  to  have  received  its  name 
from  her.  Theseus  was  acknowledged  by  his  sire,  and  declared 
successor  to  the  thcone. 

§  153.  Theseus  and  Ariadne.^ — Now  the  Athenians  were  at  that 
time  in  deep  affliction,  on  account  of  the  tribute  of  youths  and 
maidens  which  they  were  forced  to  send  to  the  Minotaur,  dwelling 
in  the  labyrinth  of  Crete,  —  a  penalty  said  to  have  been  imposed 

*  §  147.  2  Od.  II :  321 ;  Plutarch's  Theseus ;  Catullus,  LXIV. 


DESCENDANTS  OF  CECROPS  AND  ERICHTHONIUS.     261 


by  Minos  upon  the  Athenians  because  ^geus  had  sent  Androgeiis, 
the  son  of  Minos,  against 
the  Marathonian  bull,  and 
so  had  brought  about  the 
young   man's  death. 

From  this  calamity 
Theseus  resolved  to  de- 
liver his  countrymen,  or 
to  die  in  the  attempt. 
He,  therefore,  in  spite  of 
the  entreaties  of  his 
father,  presented  himself 
as  champion  of  Athens 
and  of  her  fair  sons  and 
daughters,  to  do  battle 
against  the  Minotaur ; 
and  departed  with  the 
victims  in  a  vessel  bear- 
ing black  sails,  which  he  promised  his  father  to  change  for  white 
in  the  event  of  his  returning  victorious.     So,  — 

Rather  than  cargo  on  cargo  of  corpses  undead  should  be  wafted  ^ 
Over  the  ravening  sea  to  the  pitiless  monster  of  Creta,  — 
Leaving  the  curved  strand  Pirzean,  and  wooing  the  breezes, 
Theseus  furrowed  the  deep  to  the  dome  superb  of  the  tyrant. 

Then  as  the  maid  Ariadne  beheld  him  with  glances  of  longing, — 
Princess  royal  of  Creta  Minoan,  tender,  sequestered, — 
Locked  in  a  mother's  embrace,  in  seclusion  virginal,  fragrant, 
Like  some  myrtle  set  by  streaming  ways  of  Eurotas, 
Like  to  the  varied  tints  that  Spring  invites  with  her  breezes, — 
Then,  as  with  eager  gaze  she  looked  her  first  upon  Theseus, 
Never  a  whit  she  dropped  from  his  her  eyes  that  consumed  him, 
Ere  to  the  deep  profound  her  breast  with  love  was  enkindled. 
—  God-born  boy,  thou  pitiless  heart,  provoker  of  madness, 
Mischievous,  mingling  care  with  the  fleeting  pleasure  of  mortals,  — 
Goddess  of  Golgi,  thou  frequenter  of  coverts  Idalian, 


1  Catullus,  LXIV.    From  the  Wedding  of  Peleus  and  Thetis, 
in  Hexameters,  by  Charles  Mills  Gayley. 


A  Translation 


262  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

In  what  wildering  seas  ye  tossed  the  impassionate  maiden 

Ever  a-sighing,  —  aye  for  the  fair-haired  stranger  a-sighing ! 

Ah,  what  ponderous  fears  oppressed  her  languishing  bosom, 

How,  more  pallid  than  gold  her  countenance  flashed  into  whiteness, 

What  time  Theseus  marched  unto  death  or  to  glory  undying. 

Manful,  minded  to  quell  the  inbruted  might  of  the  monster ! 

Not  unaided,  however,  did  he  undertake  the  task  ;  for  Ariadne, 
apprehensive  lest  he  might  lose  his  way  in  the  dsedalian  labyrinth, 
furnished  him  with  a  thread,  the  gift  of  Vulcan,  —  which,  unrolled 
by  Theseus  as  he  entered  the  maze,  should  enable  him  on  his 
return  to  retrace  his  former  path.     Meanwhile,  — 

Offering  artless  bribes,  Ariadne  invoked  the  Immortals, 
Kindled  voiceless  lip  with  unvoiced  tribute  of  incense, 
Suppliant,  not  in  vain  :  for,  like  to  an  oak  upon  Taurus, 
Gnarled,  swinging  his  arms,  —  like  some  cone-burthened  pine-tree 
Oozing  the  life  from  his  bark,  that,  riven  to  heart  by  the  whirlwind. 
Wholly  uprooted  from  earth,  falls  prone  with  extravagant  ruin. 
Perishes,  dealing  doom  with  precipitate  rush  of  its  branches, — 
So  was  the  Cretan  brute  by  Theseus  done  to  destruction, 
E'en  so,  tossing  in  vain  his  horns  to  the  vacuous  breezes, 

Then  with  abundant  laud  returned,  unscathed  from  the  combat, 
Theseus,  —  guiding  his  feet  unsure  by  the  filament  slender. 
Lest  as  he  threaded  paths  circuitous,  ways  labyrinthine, 
Some  perverse,  perplexing,  erratic  alley  might  foil  him. 

Why  should  I  tarry  to  tell  how,  quitting  her  sire,  Ariadne 
Quitting  the  sister's  arms,  the  infatuate  gaze  of  the  mother,  — 
She  whose  sole  delight,  whose  life,  was  her  desperate  daughter, — 
How  Ariadne  made  less  of  the  love  of  them  all  than  of  Theseus? 
Why  should  I  sing  how  sailing  they  came  to  the  beaches  of  Dia,  — 
White  with  the  foam, — how  thence,  false-hearted,  the  lover  departing 
Left  her  benighted  with  sleep,  the  Minoid,  princess  of  Creta? 

Gazing  amain  from  the  marge  of  the  flood-reverberant  Dia, 
Chafing  with  ire,  indignant,  exasperate,  —  lo,  Ariadne, 
Lorn  Ariadne,  beholds  swift  craft,  swift  lover  retreating. 
Nor  can  be  sure  she  sees  what  things  she  sees  of  a  surety, 
When  upspringing  from  sleep,  she  shakes  off  treacherous  slumber, 
Lone  beholds  herself  on  a  shore  forlorn  of  the  ocean. 
Carelessly  hastens  the  youth,  meantime,  who,  driving  his  oar-blades 


DESCENDANTS  OF  CE CROPS  AND  ERICHTHONIUS.     263 


Hard  in  the  waves,  consigns  void  vows  to  the  blustering  breezes. 
But  as,  afar  from  the  sedge,  with  sad  eyes  still  the  Minoid 
Mute  as  a  Majnad  in  stone  unnioving  stonily  gazes  — 
Heart  o'erwhelmed  with  woe — ah,  thus,  while 

thus  she  is  gazing,  — 
Down  from  her  yellow  hair  slips,  sudden,  the 

weed  of  the  (ine-spun 
Snood,  and   the  vesture  light  of  her 

mantle  down  from  the  shoulders 


Slips,  and  the  twisted  scarf  encircling  her  womanly  bosom ; 
Stealthily  gliding,  slip  they  downward  into  the  !>illow. 
Fall,  and  are  tossed  by  the  buoyant  flood  to  the  feet  of  the  fair  one. 
Nothing  she  recks  of  the  coif,  of  the  floating  garment  as  little, 
Cares  not  a  moment  then,  whose  care  hangs  only  on  Theseus,  — 
Wretched  of  heart,  soul-wrecked,  dependent  only  on  Theseus, — 
Desperate,  woe-unselfed  with  a  cureless  sorrow  incessant. 
Frantic,  bosoming  torture  of  thorns  Erycina  had  planted.  .  .  . 

Then,  they  say,  that  at  last,  infuriate  out  of  all  measure, 
Once  and  again  she  poured  shrill-voiced  shrieks  from  her  bosom; 
Helpless,  clambered  steeps,  sheer  beetling  over  the  surges. 
Whence  to  enrange  with  her  eyes  vast  futile  regions  of  ocean ;  — 
Lifting  the  folds,  soft  folds  of  her  garments,  baring  her  ankles. 
Dashed  into  edges  of  upward  waves  that  trembled  before  her; 
Uttered,  anguished  then,  one  wail,  her  maddest  and  saddest,  — 
Catching  with  tear-wet  lips  poor  sobs  that  shivering  choked  her:  — 
"  Thus  is  it  far  from  my  home,  O  traitor,  and  far  from  its  altars  — 
Thus  on  a  desert  strand,  —  dost  leave  me,  treacherous  Theseus? 
Thus  is  it  thou  dost  flout  our  vow,  dost  flout  the  Immortals, — 


264  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Carelessly  homeward  bearest,  with  baleful  ballast  of  curses? 

Never,  could  never  a  plea  forefend  thy  cruelly  minded 

Counsel?     Never  a  pity  entreat  thy  bosom  for  shelter?  .  .  . 

Hence,  let  never  a  maid  confide  in  the  oath  of  a  lover. 

Never  presume  man's  vows  hold  aught  trustworthy  within  them ! 

Verily,  while  in  anguish  of  heart  his  spirit  is  longing. 

Nothing  he  spares  to  assever,  nor  aught  makes  scruple  to  promise : 

But,  an  the  dearest  desire,  his  nearest  of  heart  be  accorded  — 

Nothing  he  recks  of  affiance,  and  reckons  perjury, — nothing. 

"  Oh  !  what  lioness  whelped  thee?     Oh  I  what  desolate  cavern? 
What  was  the  sea  that  spawned,  that  spat  from  its  churning  abysses. 
Thee,  —  what  wolfish  Stylla,  or  Syrtis,  or  vasty  Charybdis, 
Thee,  —  thus  thankful  for  life,  dear  gift  of  living,  I  gave  thee?  .  .  . 
Had  it  not  liked  thee  still  to  acknowledge  vows  that  we  plighted, 
Mightest  thou  homeward,  yet,  have  borne  me  a  damsel  beholden. 
Fain  to  obey  thy  will,  and  to  lave  thy  feet  like  a  servant, 
Fain  to  bedeck  thy  couch  with  purple  coverlet  for  thee. 

"  But  to  the  hollow  winds  why  stand  repeating  my  quarrel,  — 
I,  for  sorrow  unselfed,  —  they,  but  breezes  insensate,  — 
Potent  neither  voices  to  hear  nor  words  to  re-echo?  .  .  . 
Yea,  but  where  shall  I  turn?     Forlorn,  what  succor  rely  on? 
'Haste  to  the  Gnossian  hills?'     Ah,  see  how  distantly  surging 
Deeps  forbid,  distending  their  gulfs  abhorrent  before  me ! 
'Comfort  my  heart,  mayhap,  with  the  loyal  love  of  my  husband?' 
Lo,  the  reluctant  oar,  e'en  now,  he  plies  to  forsake  me  !  — 
Nought  but  the  homeless  strand  of  an  isle  remote  of  the  ocean  ! 
No,  no  way  of  escape,  where  the  circling  sea  without  shore  is,  — 
No,  no  counsel  of  flight,  no  hope,  no  sound  of  a  mortal; 
All  things  desolate,  dumb,  yea,  all  things  summoning  deathward ! 
Yet  mine  eyes  shall  not  fade  in  death  that  sealeth  the  eyelids. 
Nor  from  the  frame  outworn  shall  fare  my  lingering  senses, 
Ere,  undone,  from  powers  diWne  I  claim  retribution  — 
Ere  I  call  —  in  the  hour  supreme,  on  the  faith  of  Immortals ! 

"  Come,  then,  Righters  of  Wrong,  O  vengeful  dealers  of  justice, 
Braided  with  coil  of  the  serpents,  O  Eumenides,  ye  of 
Brows  that  blazon  ire  exhaling  aye  from  the  bosom. 
Haste,  oh,  haste  ye,  hither  and  hear  me,  vehement  plaining, 
Destitute,  fired  with  rage,  stark -blind,  demented  for  fury !  — 
As  with  careless  heart  yon  Theseus  sailed  and  forgot  me. 
So  with  folly  of  heart,  may  he  slay  himself  and  bis  household  !  " 


DESCENDANTS  OF  CECROPS  AND  ERICHTHONIUS.     265 


,  .  .  Then  with  a  nod  supreme  Olympian  Jupiter  nodded : 
Quaked  thereat  old  Earth,  —  quaked,  shuddered  the  terrified  waters, 
Ay,  and  the  constellations  in  Heaven  that  glitter  were  jangled. 
Straightway  like  some  cloud  on  the  inward  vision  of  Theseus 
Dropped  oblivion  down,  enshrouding  vows  he  had  cherished, 
Hiding  away  all  trace  of  the  solemn  behest  of  his  father. 

For,  as  was  said  before,  yEgeus,  on  the  departure  of  his  son 
for  Creta,  had  given  him  this  command :  "  If  Minerva,  god- 
dess of  our  city,  grant  thee  victory  over  the  Minotaur,  hoist  on 
thy  return,  when  first  the  dear  hills  of  Attica  greet  thy  vision,  white 
canvas  to  herald  thy  joy  and  mine,  that  mine  eyes  may  see  the  pro- 
pitious sign  and  know  the  glad  day  that  restores  thee  safe  to  me." 

.  .  .  Even  as  clouds  compelled  by  urgent  push  of  the  breezes 

Float  from  the  brow  uplift  of  a  snow-enveloped  mountain. 

So  from  Theseus  passed  all  prayer  and 
behest  of  his  father. 

Waited  the  sire  meanwhile,  looked  out 
from  his  tower  over  ocean. 

Wasted  his  anxious  eyes  in  futile  labor 
of  weeping. 

Waited  expectant,  —  saw  to  the  south- 
ward sails  black-bellied  — 

Hurled  him  headlong  down  from  the 
horrid  steep  to  destruction, — 

Weening  hateful  Fate  had  severed  the 
fortune  of  Theseus. 

Theseus,  then,  as  he  paced  that  gloom 
of  the  home  of  his  father, 

Insolent  Theseus  knew  himself  what 
manner  of  evil 

He  with  a  careless  heart  had  aforetime   dealt 
Ariadne,  — 

Fixed  Ariadne  that  still,  still  stared  where  the 
ship  had  receded, — 

Wounded,  revolving  in  heart  her  countless  mus- 
ter of  sorrows. 

§  154.   Bacchus  and  Ariadne.  — But  for  the 
deserted  daughter  of  Minos  a  happier  fate  was 


266 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


yet  reserved.  This  island,  on  which  she  had  been  abandoned,  was 
Naxos,  loved  and  especially  haunted  by  Bacchus,  where  with  his 
train  of  reeling  devotees  he  was  wont  to  hold  high  carnival. 

.  ,  .  Sweeping  over  the  shore,  lo,  beautiful,  blooming  Iacchus,i  — 
Chorused  of  Satyrs  in  dance  and  of  Nysian-born  Sileni,  — 

Seeking  fair  Ariadne,  —  afire  with 

flame  of  a  lover  ! 
Lightly  around  him  leaped  Bac- 
chantes, strenuous,  frenzied, 
Nodding  their  heads,  "  Euhoe  !  " 
to  the  cry,  "  Euhoe,  O  Bac- 
chus !  " 
Some  —  enwreathed     spears     of 

lacchus  madly  were  waving; 
Some  —  ensanguined  limbs  of  the 
bullock,      quivering,      brand- 
ished; 
Some — were  twining  themselves 
with  sinuous  snakes  that  twist- 
ed; 
Some  —  with    vessels    of    signs 
mysterious,  passed  in  proces- 
sion— 
Symbols  profound  that  in  vain  the  profane  may  seek  to  decipher; 
Certain  struck  with  the  palms  —  with  tapered  fingers  on  timbrels, 
Others  the  tenuous  clash  of  the  rounded  cymbals  awakened ;  — 
Brayed  with  a  raucous  roar  through  the  turmoil  many  a  trumpet, 
Many  a  stridulous  fife  went,  shrill,  barbarian,  shrieking. 


So  the  grieving,  much-wronged  Ariadne  was  consoled  for  the 
loss  of  her  mortal  spouse  by  an  immortal  lover.  The  blooming 
god  of  the  vine  wooed  and  won  her.  After  her  death,  the  golden 
crown  that  he  had  given  her  was  transferred  by  him  to  the  heavens. 
As  it  mounted  the  ethereal  spaces,  its  gems,  growing  in  bright- 
ness, became  stars ;  and  still  it  remains  fixed,  as  a  constellation, 
between  the  kneeling  Hercules  and  the  man  that  holds  the  ser- 
pent. 

1  Catullus,  LXIV.     Translation,  Charles  Mills  Gayley. 


DESCENDANTS  OF  CECROPS  AND  EKICHTIIONIUS.^    267 

§  155.  The  Amazons.  —  As  king  of  Athens,  it  is  said  that 
Theseus  undertook  an  expedition  against  the  Amazons.  Assailing 
them  before  they  had  recovered  from  the  attack  of  Hercules,  he 
carried  off  their  queen  Antiope  ;  but  they  in  turn,  invading  the 
country  of  Athens,  penetrated  into  the  city  itself;  and  there  was 
fought  the  final  battle  in  which  Theseus  overcame  them. 

§  156.  Theseus  and  Pirithoiis.  — A  famous  friendship  between 
Theseus  and  Pirithoiis  of  Thessaly,  son  of  Jupiter,  originated  in 
the  midst  of  arms.  Pirithoiis  had  made  an  irruption  into  the  plain 
of  Marathon,  and  had  carried  off  the  herds  of  the  king  of  Athens. 
Theseus  went  to  repel  the  plunderers.  The  moment  the  Thessalian 
beheld  him,  he  was  seized  with  admiration  ;  and  stretching  out  his 
hand  as  a  token  of  peace,  he  cried,  "  Be  judge  thyself,  —  what 
satisfaction  dost  thou  require?"  —  "Thy  friendship,"  replied  the 
Athenian  ;  and  they  swore  inviolable  fidelity.  Their  deeds  cor- 
responding to  their  professions,  they  continued  true  brothers 
in  arms.  When,  accordingly,  Pirithous  was  to  marry  Hippo- 
damfa,  daughter  of  Atrax,  Theseus  took  his  friend's  part  in  the 
battle  that  ensued  between  the  Lapithae  (of  whom  Pirithoiis  was 
king)  and  the  Centaurs.  For  it  happened  that  at  the  marriage 
feast,  the  Centaurs  were  among  the  guests ;  and  one  of  them, 
Eurytion,  becoming  intoxicated,  attempted  to  offer  violence  to 
the  bride.  Other  Centaurs  followed  his  example ;  combat  was 
joined  ;  Theseus  leaped  into  the  fray,  and  not  a  {t\\  of  the  guests 
bit  the  dust. 

I^ter,  each  of  these  friends  aspired  to  espouse  a  daughter  of 
Jupiter.  Theseus  fixed  his  choice  on  Leda's  daughter  Helen, 
then  a  child,  but  afterwards  famous  as  the  cause  of  the  Trojan 
war ;  and  with  the  aid  of  his  friend  he  carried  her  off,  only,  how- 
ever, to  restore  her  at  very  short  notice.  As  for  Pirithoiis,  he 
aspired  to  the  wife  of  the  monarch  of  Erebus ;  and  Theseus, 
though  aware  of  the  danger,  accompanied  the  ambitious  lover  to 
the  underworld.  But  Pluto  seized  and  set  them  on  an  enchanted 
rock  at  his  palace  gate,  where,  fixed,  they  remained  till  Hercules, 
arriving,  liberated  Theseus,  but  left  Pirithoiis  to  his  fate. 


268  CLASSIC  MYTHS  I.V  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  157.  Phaedra  and  Hippol3rtus.  —  After  the  death  of  Antiope, 
Theseus  married  Phaedra,  sister  of  the  deserted  Ariadne,  daughter 
of  Minos.  But  Phaedra,  seeing  in  Hippolytus,  the  son  of  Theseus, 
a  youth  endowed  with  all  the  graces  and  virtues  of  his  father,  and 
of  an  age  corresponding  to  her  own,  loved  him.  When,  however, 
he  repulsed  her  advances,  her  love  was  changed  to  despair  and  hate. 
Hanging  herself,  she  left  for  her  husband  a  scroll  containing  false 
charges  against  Hippolytus.  The  infatuated  husband,  filled,  there- 
fore, with  jealousy  of  his  son,  imprecated  the  vengeance  of  Nep- 
tune upon  him.  As  Hippolytus,  one  day,  drove  his  chariot  along 
the  shore,  a  sea-monster  raised  himself  above  the  waters,  and  fright- 
ened the  horses  so  that  they  ran  away  and  dashed  the  chariot  to 
pieces.  Hippolytus  was  killed,  but  by  ^Esculapius  was  restored  to 
life ;  and  then  removed  by  Diana  from  the  power  of  his  deluded 
father,  was  placed  in  Italy  under  the  protection  of  the  nymph 
Egeria. 

In  his  old  age,  Theseus,  losing  the  favor  of  his  people,  retired 
to  the  court  of  Lycomedes,  king  of  Scyros,  who  at  first  received 
him  kindly,  but  afterwards  treacherously  put  him  to  death. 


THE   HOUSE    OF  LABDACUS.  269 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE   HOUSE   OF    LABDACUS. 

§  158.  The  Misfortunes  of  Thebes.  —  Returning  to  the  descen- 
dants of  Inachus,  we  find  that  the  curse  which  fell  upon  Cadmus 
when  he  slew  the  dragon  of  Mars  followed  inexorably  every  scion 
of  his  house.  His  daughters,  Semele,  Ino,  Autonoe,  Agave, —  his 
grandsons,  Melicertes,  Actaeon,  Pentheus,  —  lived  sorrowful  lives, 
or  suffered  violent  deaths.  The  misfortunes  of  one  branch  of  his 
family,  sprung  from  his  son  Polydorus,  remain  to  be  told.  The 
curse  seemed  to  have  spared  Polydorus  himself.  His  son  Lab- 
dacus,  also,  lived  a  quiet  life  as  king  of  Thebes,  and  left  a  son, 
Laius  upon  the  throne.  But  ere  long  Laius  was  warned  by  an 
oracle  that  there  was  danger  to  his  throne  and  life  if  his  son, 
new-born,  should  reach  man's  estate.  He,  therefore,  committed 
the  child  to  a  herdsman,  with  orders  for  its  destruction ;  but  the 
herdsman,  moved  with  pity,  yet  not  daring  entirely  to  disobey, 
pierced  the  child's  feet,  purposing  to  expose  him  to  the  elements 
on  Mount  Cithaeron. 

§  159.  (Edipus.'  —  In  this  plight  the  infant  was  given  to  a  ten- 
der-hearted fellow-shepherd,  who  carried  him  to  King  Polybus  of 
Corinth  and  his  queen,  by  whom  he  was  adopted  and  called  CEdi- 
pus,  or  Swollen-foot. 

Many  years  afterward,  QEdipus,  learning  from  an  oracle  that  he 
was  destined  to  be  the  death  of  his  father,  left  the  realm  of  his  re- 
puted sire,  Polybus.  It  happened,  however,  that  Laius  was  then 
driving  to  Delphi,  accompanied  only  by  one  attendant.  In  a  nar- 
row road  he  met  Gidipus,  also  in  a  chariot.  On  the  refusal  of  the 
youthful  stranger  to  leave  the  way  at  their  command,  the  attendant 

1  Sophocles,  CEdipus  Rex,  CEdipus  Coloneus,  Antigone;  Euripides,  Phoenissae; 
ApoUod.  3  :  5.  $\^  7,  8. 


270  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATUKE. 

killed  one  of  his  horses,  Qidipus,  consumed  with  rage,  slew  both 
Laius  and  the  attendant ;  and  thus  unknowingly  fulfilled  both  oracles. 

Shortly  after  this  event,  the  city  of  Thebes,  to  which  Oedipus 
had  repaired,  was  afflicted  with  a  monster  that  infested  the  high- 
road. It  was  called  the  Sphinx.  It  had  the  body  of  a  lion,  and 
the  upper  part  of  a  woman.  It  lay  crouched  on  the  top  of  a 
rock,  and  arresting  all  travellers  who  came  that  way,  propounded  to 
them  a  riddle,  with  the  condition  that  those  who  could  solve  it 
should  pass  safe,  but  those  who  failed  should  be  killed.  Not  one 
had  yet  succeeded  in  guessing  it.  Qi^dipus,  not  daunted  by  these 
alarming  accounts,  boldly  advanced  to  the  trial.  The  Sphinx 
asked  him,  "  What  animal  is  it  that  in  the  morning  goes  on  four 
feet,  at  noon  on  two,  and  in  the  evening  upon  three?"  Q^^dipus 
replied,  "  Man,  who  in  childhood  creeps  on  hands  and  knees,  in 
manhood  walks  erect,  and  in  old  age  goes  with  the  aid  of  a  staff." 
The  Sphinx,  mortified  at  the  collapse  of  her  riddle,  cast  herself 
down  from  the  rock  and  perished. 

§  1 60.  (Edipus,  the  King.  — In  gratitude  for  their  deliverance, 
the  Thebans  made  CEdipus  their  king,  giving  him  in  marriage 
their  queen,  Jocasta.  He,  ignorant  of  his  parentage,  had  already 
become  the  slayer  of  his  father  ;  in  marrying  the  queen  he  became 
the  husband  of  his  mother.  These  horrors  remained  undiscovered, 
till,  after  many  years,  Thebes,  being  afflicted  with  famine  and 
pestilence,  the  oracle  was  consulted,  and,  by  a  series  of  coin- 
cidences, the  double  crime  of  CEdipus  came  to  light.  At  once, 
Jocasta  put  an  end  to  her  life  by  hanging  herself.  As  for  CEdi- 
pus, horror-struck,  — 

When  her  form 
He  saw,  poor  wretch !    with  one  wild  fearful  cry, 
The  twisted  rope  he  loosens,  and  she  fell, 
Ill-starred  one,  on  the  ground.     Then  came  a  sight 
Most  fearful.     Tearing  from  her  robe  the  clasps, 
All  chased  with  gold,  with  which  she  decked  herself, 
He  with  them  struck  the  pupils  of  his  eyes, 
With  words  like  these :    "  Because  they  had  not  seen 
What  ills  he  suffered,  and  what  ills  he  did, 


THE  HOUSE    OF  LABDACUS.  271 

They  in  the  dark  should  look,  in  time  to  come, 
On  those  whom  they  ought  never  to  have  seen. 
Nor  know  the  dear  ones  whom  he  fain  had  known." 
With  such  like  wails,  not  once  or  twice  alone, 
Raising  his  eyes  he  smote  them,  and  the  balls, 
All  bleeding,  stained  his  cheek. ^ 

§  i6i.  CEdipus  at  Colonus. — After  these  sad  events,  CEdipus 
would  have  left  Thebes,  but  the  oracle  forbade  the  people  to  let 
him  go.  Jocasta's  brother,  Creon,  was  made  regent  of  the  realm 
for  the  two  sons  of  CEdipus.  But,  after  G^dipus  had  grown  con- 
tent to  stay,  these  sons  of  his,  with  Creon,  thrust  him  into  exile. 
Accompanied  by  his  daughter  Antigone,  he  went  begging  through 
the  land.  His  other  daughter,  Ismene,  at  first,  stayed  at  home. 
Cursing  the  sons  who  had  abandoned  him,  but  bowing  his  own 
will  in  submission  to  the  ways  of  God,  CEdipus  approached  the 
hour  of  his  death  in  Colonus,  a  village  near  Athens.  His  friend 
Theseus,  king  of  Athens,  comforted  and  sustained  him  to  the  last. 
Both  his  daughters  were,  also,  with  him  :  — 

And  then  he  called  his  girls,  and  bade  them  fetch 
Clear  water  from  the  stream,  and  bring  to  him 
For  cleansing  and  libation.     And  they  went, 
Both  of  them,  to  yon  hill  we  look  upon. 
Owned  by  Demeter  of  the  fair  green  corn. 
And  quickly  did  his  bidding,  bathed  his  limbs, 
And  clothed  them  in  the  garment  that  is  meet. 
And  when  he  had  his  will  in  all  they  did, 
And  not  one  wish  continued  unfulfilled, 
Zeus  from  the  dark  depths  thundered,  and  the  girls 
Heard  it,  and  shuddering,  at  their  father's  knees. 
Falling  they  wept;    nor  did  they  then  forbear 
Smiting  their  breasts,  nor  groanings  lengthened  out; 
And  when  he  heard  their  bitter  cry,  forthwith 
Folding  his  arms  around  them,  thus  he  spake: 
"  My  children,  on  this  day  ye  cease  to  have 
A  father.     All  my  days  are  spent  and  gone; 
And  ye  no  more  shall  lead  your  wretched  life, 

1  Sophocles :  CEdipus,  the  King.    Translation  by  E.  H.  Plumptre. 


272  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Caring  for  me.     Hard  was  it,  that  I  know, 
My  children !     Yet  one  word  is  strong  to  loose, 
Although  alone,  the  burden  of  these  toils. 
For  love  in  larger  store  ye  could  not  have 
From  any  than  from  him  who  standeth  here, 
Of  whom  bereaved  ye  now  shall  live  your  life."  ^ 

There  was  sobbing,  then  silence.  Then  a  voice  called  him,  — 
and  he  followed.  God  took  him  from  his  troubles.  Antigone 
returned  to  Thebes ;  —  where,  as  we  shall  see,  her  sisterly  fidelity 
showed  itself  as  true  as,  aforetime,  her  filial  affection. 

Her  brothers,  Eteocles  and  Polynices,  had  meanwhile  agreed  to 
share  the  kingdom  between  them,  and  to  reign  alternately  year  by 
year.  The  first  year  fell  to  the  lot  of  Eteocles,  who,  when  his 
time  expired,  refused  to  surrender  the  kingdom  to  his  brother. 
Polynices,  accordingly,  fled  to  Adrastus,  king  of  Argos,  who  gave 
him  his  daughter  in  marriage,  and  aided  him  with  an  army  to 
enforce  his  claim  to  the  kingdom.  These  causes  led  to  the  cele- 
brated expedition  of  the  "  Seven  against  Thebes,"  which  furnished 
ample  materials  for  the  epic  and  tragic  poets  of  Greece.  And 
here  the  younger  heroes  of  Greece  make  their  appearance. 

1  CEdipus  at  Colonus,  11.  i6oo,  etc.    Translation  by  E.  H.  Plumptre. 


THE    YOUNGER    HEROES.  273 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE   YOUNGER   HEROES. 

§  162.  Their  Exploits.  —  The  exploits  of  the  sons  and  grand- 
sons of  the  chieftains  engaged  in  the  Calydonian  Hunt  and  the 
Quest  of  the  Golden  Fleece  are  narrated  in  four  stories,  —  the 
Seven  against  Thebes,  the  Siege  of  Troy,  the  Wanderings  of 
Ulysses,  and  the  Adventures  of  yEneas. 

§  163.  The  Seven  against  Thebes.'  —  The  allies  of  Adrastus  and 
Polynices  in  the  enterprise  against  Thebes  were  Tydeus  of  Caly- 
don,  half-brother  of  Meleager,  Parthenopaeus  of  Arcadia,  son  of 
Atalanta  and  Mars,  Capaneus  of  Argos,  Hipponnedon  of  Argos, 
and  Amphiaraiis,  the  brother-in-law  of  Adrastus.  Amphiaraiis 
opposed  the  expedition,  for  being  a  soothsayer,  he  knew  that  none 
of  the  leaders  except  Adrastus  would  live  to  return  from  Thebes ; 
but  on  his  marriage  to  Eriphyle,  the  king's  sister,  he  had 
agreed  that  whenever  he  and  Adrastus  should  differ  in  opin- 
ion, the  decision  should  be  left  to  Eriphyle.  Polynices,  knowing 
this,  gave  Eriphyle  the  necklace  of  Harmonia,  and  thereby  gained 
her  to  his  interest.  This  was  the  self-same  necklace  that  Vulcan 
had  given  to  Harmonia  on  her  marriage  with  Cadmus ;  Poly- 
nices had  taken  it  with  him  on  his  flight  from  Thebes.  It  seems 
to  have  been  still  fraught  with  the  curse  of  the  house  of  Cadmus. 
But  Eriphyle  could  not  resist  so  tempting  a  bribe.  By  her  decision 
the  war  was  resolved  on,  and  Amphiaraiis  went  to  his  fate.  He 
bore  his  part  bravely  in  the  contest,  but  still  could  not  avert  his 
destiny.  While,  pursued  by  the  enemy  he  was  fleeing  along  the 
river,  a  thunderbolt  launched  by  Jupiter  opened  the  ground,  and 
he,  his  chariot,  and  his  charioteer  were  swallowed  up. 

1 /Eschyl.  Seven  against  Thebes;  Eurip.  Phoenissae;  Apollod.  3:6  and  7; 
Hygin.  Fab.  69,  70;  Pausan.  8  and  9;  Statius,  Thebaid. 


274  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

It  is  unnecessary  here  to  detail  all  the  acts  of  heroism  or 
atrocity  which  marked  this  contest.  The  fidelity,  however,  of 
Evadne  stands  out  as  an  offset  to  the  weakness  of  Eriphyle.  Her 
husband,  Capaneus,  having  in  the  ardor  of  the  fight  declared  that 
he  would  force  his  way  into  the  city  in  spite  of  Jove  himself,  placed 
a  ladder  against  the  wall  and  mounted ;  but  Jupiter,  offended  at 
his  impious  language,  struck  him  with  a  thunderbolt.  When  his 
obsequies  were  celebrated,  Evadne  cast  herself  on  his  funeral  pile 
and  perished. 

It  seems  that  early  in  the  contest  Eteocles  consulted  the  sooth- 
sayer Tiresias  as  to  the  issue.  Now,  this  Tiresias  in  his  youth  had 
by  chance  seen  Minerva  bathing  ;  and  had  been  -deprived  by  her 
of  his  sight,  but  afterwards  had  obtained  of  her  the  knowledge 
of  future  events.  When  consulted  by  Eteocles,  he  declared  that 
victory  should  fall  to  Thebes  if  Menoeceus,  the  son  of  Creon, 
gave  himself  a  voluntary  victim.  The  heroic  youth,  learning  the 
response,  threw  away  his  life  in  the  first  encounter. 

The  siege  continued  long,  with  various  success.  At  length  both 
hosts  agreed  that  the  brothers  should  decide  their  quarrel  by  single 
combat.  They  fought,  and  fell  each  by  the  hand  of  the  other.  The 
armies  then  renewed  the  fight ;  and  at  last  the  invaders  were  forced 
to  yield,  and  fled,  leaving  their  dead  unburied.  Creon,  the  uncle 
of  the  fallen  princes,  now  become  king,  caused  Eteocles  to  be 
buried  with  distinguished  honor,  but  suffered  the  body  of  Polynices 
to  lie  where  it  fell,  forbidding  every  one,  on  pain  of  death,  to  give 
it  burial. 

§  164.  Antigone,'  the  sister  of  Polynices,  heard  with  indignation 
the  revolting  edict  which,  consigning  her  brother's  body  to  the 
dogs  and  vultures,  deprived  it  of  the  rites  that  were  considered 
essential  to  the  repose  of  the  dead.  Unmoved  by  the  dissuading 
counsel  of  her  affectionate  but  timid  sister,  and  unable  to  procure 
assistance,  she  determined  to  brave  the  hazard  and  to  bury  the 
body  with  her  own  hands.     She  was  detected  in  the  act.     When 

1  Sophocles,  Antigone ;  Eurip.  Suppliants. 


THE    YOUNGER  HEROES.  275 

Creon  asked  the  fearless  woman  whether  she  dared  disobey  the 
laws,  she  answered  :  — 

Yes,  for  it  was  not  Zeus  who  gave  them  forth, 

Nor  justice,  dwelling  with  the  gods  below. 

Who  traced  these  laws  for  all  the  sons  of  men; 

Nor  did  I  deem  thy  edicts  strong  enough, 

That  thou,  a  mortal  man,  should'st  overpass 

The  unwritten  laws  of  God  that  know  no  change. 

They  are  not  of  to-day  nor  yesterday, 

But  live  forever,  nor  can  man  assign 

When  first  they  sprang  to  being.     Not  through  fear 

Of  any  man's  resolve  was  I  prepared 

Before  the  gods  to  bear  the  penalty 

Of  sinning  against  these.     That  I  should  die 

I  knew  (how  should  I  not?),  though  thy  decree 

Had  never  spoken.     And  before  my  time 

If  I  shall  die,  I  reckon  this  a  gain; 

For  whoso  lives,  as  I,  in  many  woes, 

How  can  it  be  but  he  shall  gain  by  death? 

And  so  for  me  to  bear  this  doom  of  thine 

Has  nothing  fearful.     But,  if  I  had  left 

My  mother's  son  unburied  on  his  death, 

In  that  I  should  have  suffered;    but  in  this 

I  suffer  not.i 

Creon,  unyielding  and  unable  to  conceive  of  a  law  higher  than 
that  he  knew,  gave  orders  that  she  should  be  buried  alive,  as  hav- 
ing deliberately  set  at  nought  the  solemn  edict  of  the  city.  Her 
lover,  Hsemon,  the  son  of  Creon,  unable  to  avert  her  fate,  would 
not  survive  her,  and  fell  by  his  own  hand.  It  is  only  after  his  son's 
death,  and  as  he  gazes  upon  the  corpses  of  the  lovers,  that  the 
aged  Creon  recognizes  the  insolence  of  his  narrow  judgment. 
And  those  that  stand  beside  him  say :  — 

Man's  highest  blessedness 
In  wisdom  chiefly  stands; 
And  in  the  things  that  touch  upon  the  gods, 
'Tis  best  in  word  or  deed, 

1  Sophocles,  Antigone,  11.  450-470.    Translation  by  E.  H.  Plumptre. 


276  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

To  shun  unholy  pride; 
Great  words  of  boasting  bring  great  punishments, 
And  so  to  gray-haired  age 
Teach  wisdom  at  the  last.^ 

§  164  a.  The  Epigoni.-  —  Such  was  the  fall  of  the  house  of 
Labdacus.  The  bane  of  Cadmus  expires  with  the  family  of  CEdi- 
pus.  But  the  wedding  gear  of  Harmonia  has  not  yet  fulfilled  its 
baleful  mission.  Amphiaraiis  had,  with  his  last  breath,  enjoined  his 
son  Alcraseon  to  avenge  him  on  the  faithless  Eriphyle.  Alcmaeon 
engaged  his  word ;  but  before  accomplishing  the  fell  purpose,  he 
was  ordered  by  an  oracle  of  Delphi  to  conduct  against  Thebes 
a  new  expedition.  Thereto  his  mother  Eriphyle,  influenced  by 
Thersander,  the  son  of  Polynices,  and  bribed  this  time  by  the  gift 
of  Hartnonia's  wedding  garment,  impelled  not  only  Alcmaeon,  but 
her  other  son,  Amphilochus.  The  descendants  {Epigoni)  of  the 
former  Seven  thus  renewed  the  war  against  Thebes.  They  levelled 
the  city  to  the  ground.  Its  inhabitants,  counselled  by  Tiresias, 
took  refuge  in  foreign  lands.  Tiresias,  himself,  perished  during  the 
flight.  Alcmaeon,  returning  to  Argos,  put  his  mother  to  death,  but 
in  consequence  repeated  I'n  his  own  experience  the  penalty  of 
Orestes.  The  outfit  of  Harmonia  preserved  its  malign  influence 
until,  at  last,  it  was  devoted  to  the  temple  at  Delphi ;  and  removed 
from  the  sphere  of  mortal  jealousies. 

1  Sophocles,  Antigone,  closing  chorus. 

2  Pausanias  9:9,  §{  2,  3 ;  Herodotus  5  :  61 ;  Apollodorus. 


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HOUSES   CONCERNED  IN   THE    TROJAN   WAR.        277 


CHAPTER    XXIV.  ^)  f^^ 

HOUSES   CONCERNED    IN    THE   TROJAN    WAR.  ' 

§165.  Three  Houses  Concerned.  —  Before  entering  upon  the 
causes  of  the  war  against  Troy,  we  must  notice  the  three  Grecian 
families  that  were  principally  concerned,  —  those  of  Peleus,  Atreus, 
and  Tyndareus. 

§  165  a.  Peleus*  was  the  son  of  ^acus  and  grandson  of  Jove. 
It  was  for  his  father  yEacus,  king  of  Phthia  in  Thessaly,  that,  as  we 
have  seen,  an  army  of  Myrmidons  was  created  by  Jupiter.  Peleus 
joined  the  expedition  of  the  Argonauts ;  and  on  that  journey 
beheld  and  fell  in  love  with  the  sea-nymph  Thetis,  daughter  of 
Nereus  and  Uoris.  Such  was  the  beauty  of  the  nymph  that  Jupi- 
ter himself  had  sought  her  in  marriage ;  but  having  learned  from 
Prometheus,  the  Titan,  that  Thetis  should  bear  a  son  who  should 
be  greater  than  his  father,  the  Olympian  desisted  from  his  suit, 
and  decreed  that  Thetis  should  be  the  wife  of  a  mortal.  By  the 
aid  of  Chiron,  the  Centaur,  Peleus  succeeded  in  winning  the  god- 
dess for  his  bride.  In  this  marriage  to  be  productive  of  momen- 
tous results  for  mortals,  the  immortals  manifested  a  lively  interest. 
They  thronged  with  the  Thessalians  to  the  wedding  in  Pharsalia  ; 
they  honored  the  wedding  feast  with  their  presence,  and  reclining 
on  ivory  couches,  gave  ear  while  the  three  Sisters  of  Fate,  in  re- 
sponsive strain,  chanted  the  fortunes  of  Achilles,  —  the  future  hero 
of  the  Trojan  War,  —  the  son  that  should  spring  from  this  union  of 
a  goddess  with  a  mortal.  The  following  is  from  a  translation 
of  the  famous  poem,  The  Wedding  of  Peleus  and  Thetis  :  — 

1  Ovid,  Metam.  11 :  221-265 ;  Catullus,  I.XIV. ;  Hygin.  Fab.  14 ;  Apollon.  Rhod., 
Argon.  1 :  558;  Val.  Flaccus,  Argon.;  Statius,  Achilleid. 


278  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

.  .  .  Now,  on  the  day  foreset,  Aurora  forsaking  the  ocean  ^ 
Crimsons  the  orient  sky :  all  Thessaly,  seeking  the  palace, 
Fares  to  the  royal  seat,  in  populous  muster  exultant, 
Heavy  of  hand  with  gifts,  but  blithesome  of  cheer  for  the  joyance, 
Scyros  behind  they  leave,  they  leave  Phthiotican  Tempe, 
Crannon's  glittering  domes  and  the  battlements  Larissoean, 
Cumber  Pharsalia,  throng  the  abodes  and  the  streets  of  Pharsalus. 
Fields,  meanwhile  are  untilled,  grow  tender  the  necks  of  the  oxen, 
None  with  the  curving  teeth  of  the  harrow  cleareth  the  vineyard. 
None  upturneth  the  glebe  with  bulls  and  the  furrowing  ploughshare. 
None  with  gardener's  knife  lets  light  through  the  branches  umbrageous; 
Squalid  the  rust  creeps  up  o'er  ploughs  forgotten  of  ploughmen. 

Bright  is  the  palace,  though,  through  far  retreating  recesses 
Blazing  for  sheen  benign  of  the  opulent  gold  and  the  silver : 
Ivory  gleams  on  the  thrones,  great  goblets  glint  on  the  tables, 
Glitters  the  spacious  home,  made  glad  with  imperial  splendor,  — 
Ay,  but  most  —  in  the  hall  midmost  —  is  the  couch  of  the  goddess. 
Glorious,  made  of  the  tusks  of  the  Indian  elephant  —  polished  — 
Spread  with  a  wonder  of  quilt  empurpled  with  dye  of  the  sea-shell. 

On  this  coverlet  of  purple  were  embroidered  various  scenes 
illustrating  the  lessons  of  heroism  and  justice  that  the  poet  would 
inculcate :  to  the  good  falleth  good ;  to  the  evil,  evil  speedily. 
Therefore,  the  story  of  Theseus  and  Ariadne,  which  has  already 
been  recounted,  was  here  displayed  in  cunning  handiwork.  For, 
Theseus,  the  false  lover,  bold  of  hand  but  bad  of  heart,  gained 
by  retributive  justice  undying  ruth  and  misery  ;  whereas  Ariadne, 
the  injured  and  innocent,  restored  to  happiness,  won  no  less  a 
rev/ard  than  Bacchus  himself.  Gorgeously  woven  with  such 
antique  and  heroic  figures  was  the  famous  quilt  upon  the  couch 
of  Thetis.  For  a  season  the  wedding  guests  feasted  their  eyes 
upon  it :  — 

Then  when  Thessaly's  youth,  long  gazing,  had  of  the  wonder 
Their  content,  they  gan  give  place  to  the  lords  of  Olympus. 
As  when  Zephyr  awakes  the  recumbent  billows  of  ocean, 

•  Catullus,  LXIV.  From  The  Wedding  of  Peleus  and  Thetis:  translated  into 
hexameters,  by  Charles  Mills  Gayley. 


HOUSES   CONCERNED  IN   THE    TROJAN   WAR.         11^ 

Roughens  the  placid  deep  with  eager  breath  of  the  morning, 

Urges  the  waves,  and  impels,  to  the  threshold  of  journeying  Phtebus,  — 

They,  at  first,  blown  outward  unroughly  when  Dawn  is  a-rising, 

Limp  slow-footed,  and  loiter  with  laughter  lightsoinely  plashing, 

But,  with  the  freshening  gale,  creep  (juicker  and  thicker  together. 

Till  on  horizon  they  float  refulgent  of  luminous  purple,  — 

So  from  the  portal  withdrawing  the  pomp  Thcssalian  departed 

Faring  on  world-wide  ways  to  the  far-ofi"  homes  of  their  fathers. 

Now  when  they  were  aloof,  drew  nigh  from  Pelion's  summit 
Chiron  bearing  gifts  from  copses  and  glades  of  the  woodland  — 
Gifts  that  the  meadows  yield :  what  flowers  on  Thessaly's  mountains, 
Or,  by  waves  of  the  stream,  the  prolific  breath  of  the  West  Wind, 
Warming,  woos  to  the  day,  all  such  in  bunches  assorted 
Bore  he.     Flattered  with  odors  the  whole  house  brake  into  laughter. 
Came  there  next  Peneiis,  abandoning  verdurous  Tempe  — 
Tempo  embowered  deep  mid  superimpendent  forests. 

And  after  the  river-god,  who  bore  with  him  nodding  plane-trees 
and  lofty  beeches,  straight  slim  laurels,  the  lithe  poplars,  and  the 
airy  cypress  to  plant  about  the  palace  that  thick  foliage  might  give 
it  shade,  followed  Prometheus,  the  bold  and  cunning  of  heart, 
wearing  still  the  marks  of  his  ancient  punishment  on  the  rocks  of 
Caucasus.  Finally  the  father  of  the  gods  himself  came,  with  his 
holy  spouse  and  his  offspring,  —  all,  save  Phcebus  and  his  one 
sister,  who  naturally  looked  askance  upon  a  union  to  be  productive 
cf  untold  misfortune  to  their  favored  town  of  Troy. 

.  .  .  When  now  the  gods  had  reclined  their  limbs  on  the  ivory  couches, 

Viands  many  and  rare  were  heaped  on  the  banqueting  tables, 

Whilst  the  decrepit  Sisters  of  Fate,  their  tottering  bodies 

Solemnly  swayed,  and  rehearsed  their  soothfast  vaticination. 

—  Lo,  each  tremulous  frame  was  wrapped  in  robe  of  a  whiteness, 

Down  to  the  ankles  that  fell,  with  nethermost  border  of  purple, 

While  on  ambrosial  brows  there  rested  fillets  like  snowflakes. 

They,  at  a  task  eternal  their  hands  religiously  plying. 

Held  in  the  left  on  high,  with  wool  enfolded,  a  distaff". 

Delicate  fibres  wherefrom,  drawn  down,  were  shaped  by  the  right  hand  — 

Shaped  by  fingers  upturned,  —  but  the  down-turned  thumb  set  a-whirling, 

Poised  with  perfected  whorl,  the  industrious  shaft  of  the  spindle. 


280  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITEKAI'UA'E. 

Still,  as  they  span,  as  they  span,  was  the  tooth  kept  nipping  and  smoothing, 
And  to  the  withered  lip  clung  morsels  of  wool  as  they  smoothed  it  — 
Filaments  erstwhile  rough  that  stood  from  the  twist  of  the  surface. 
Close  at  their  feet,  meantime,  were  woven  baskets  of  wicker 
Guarding  the  soft  white  balls  of  the  wool  resplendent  within  them. 
Thus  then,  parting  the  strands,  these  Three  with  resonant  voices 
Uttered,  in  chant  divine,  predestined  sooth  of  the  future  — 
Prophecy  neither  in  time,  nor  yet  in  eternity,  shaken. 

"Thou  that  exaltest  renown  of  thy  name  with  the  name  of  thy  valor, 
Bulwark  Emathian,  blest  above  sires  in  the  offspring  of  promise, 
Hear  with  thine  ears  this  day  what  oracles  fall  from  the  Sisters 
Chanting  the  fates  for  thee;  — but  you,  ye  destiny-drawing 
Spindles,  hasten  the  threads  of  the  destinies  set  for  the  future  ! 

"  Rideth  the  orb  on  high  that  heraldeth  boon  to  the  bridegroom  — 
Hesperus,  —  cometh  anon  with  star  propitious  the  virgin, 
Speedeth  thy  soul  to  subdue  —  submerge  it  with  love  at  the  flood-tide. 
Hasten,  ye  spindles,  and  run,  yea,  gallop,  ye  thread-running  spindles ! 

"  Erstwhile,  never  a  home  hath  roofed  like  generous  loving. 
Never  before  hath  Love  conjoined  lovers  so  nearly,  — 
Never  with  harmony  such  as  endureth  for  Thetis  and  Peleus. 
Hasten,  ye  spindles,  and  run,  yea,  gallop,  ye  thread-running  spindles ! 

"  Born  unto  you  shall  be  the  undaunted  heart  of  Achilles, 
Aye,  by  his  brave  breast  known,  unknown  by  his  back  to  the  foeman,  — 
Victor  in  onslaught,  victor  in  devious  reach  of  the  race-course. 
Fleeter  of  foot  than  feet  of  the  stag  that  lighten  and  vanish,  — 
Hasten,  ye  spindles,  and  run,  yea,  gallop,  ye  thread-running  spindles!  " 

So  the  sisters  prophesied  the  future  of  the  hero,  Achilles.  How 
by  him  the  Trojans  should  fall,  as  fall  the  ears  of  corn  when 
they  are  yellow  before  the  scythe,  —  how  because  of  him  Sca- 
mander  should  run  red,  warm  with  blood,  choked  with  blind  bodies, 
into  the  whirling  Hellespont ;  how  finally  he,  himself,  in  his  prime, 
should  fall,  and  how  on  his  torab  should  be  sacrificed  the  fair 
Polyxena,  daughter  of  Priam,  whom  he  had  loved.  "So,"  says 
Catullus,  "  sang  the  Fates.  For  those  were  the  days  before  piety 
and  righteous  action  were  spurned  by  mankind,  the  days  when 


HOUSES   CONCERNED   IN   THE    TROJAN   WAR.  281 

Jupiter  and  his  immortals  deigned  to  consort  with  zealous  man,  to 
enjoy  the  sweet  odor  of  his  burnt-offering,  to  march  beside  him 
to  battle,  to  swell  his  shout  in  victory  and  his  lament  in  defeat,  to 
smile  on  his  peaceful  harvests,  to  recline  at  his  banquets,  and  to 
bless  the  weddings  of  fair  women  and  goodly  heroes.  But  now, 
alas,"  concludes  Catullus,  '*  godliness  and  chastity,  truth,  wisdom, 
and  honor  have  departed  from  among  men  "  :  — 

Wherefore  the  gods  no  more  vouchsafe  their  presence  to  mortals, 
Suffer  themselves  no  more  to  be  touched  by  the  ray  of  the  morning. 
Rut  there  were  gods  in  the  pure,  —  in  the  golden  prime  of  the  Ages. 

§  165  /^.  Atreus  was  the  son  of  Pelops  and  Hippodamia  and 
grandson  of  Tantalus,  therefore  great-grandson  of  Jove.  Both  by 
blood  and  by  marriage  he  was  connected  with  Theseus.  He  took 
to  wife  Aerope,  granddaughter  of  Minos  II.,  king  of  Crete,  and  by 
her  had  two  sons,  Agamemnon,  the  general  of  the  Grecian  army 
in  the  Trojan  War,  and  Menelaiis,  at  whose  solicitation  the  war 
was  undertaken.  Of  Atreus  it  may  be  said  that  with  cannibal 
atrocity  like  that  of  his  grandsire,  Tantalus,  he  on  one  occasion 
wreaked  his  vengeance  on  a  brother,  Thyestes,  by  causing  him  to 
eat  the  flesh  of  two  of  his  own  children.  A  son  of  this  Thyestes, 
^gisthus  by  name,  revived,  in  due  time,  against  Agamemnon  the 
treacherous  feud  that  had  existed  between  their  fathers. 

§  165  L\  Tyndareus  was  king  of  Lacedaemon  (Sparta).  His 
wife  was  Leda,  daughter  of  Thestius  of  Calydon,  and  sister  of 
Althaea,  the  mother  of  Meleager  and  Dejanira.  To  Tyndareus 
Leda  bore  Castor  and  Clytemnestra ;  to  Jove  she  bore  Pollux  and 
Helen.  The  two  former  were  mortal ;  the  two  latter,  immor- 
tal. Clytemnestra  was  married  to  Agamemnon  of  Mycenae,  to 
whom  she  bore  three  children,  —  Electra,  Iphigenia,  and  Ores- 
tes. Helen,  the  fair  immediate  cause  of  the  Trojan  War,  became 
the  wife  of  Menelaiis,  who  with  her  obtained  the  kingdom  of 
Sparta. 

§  166.  Castor  and  Pollux  are  mentioned  here  because  of  their 
kinship  with  Helen.     They  had,  however,  disappeared  from  earth 


282  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

before  the  Siege  of  Troy  was  undertaken.  They  are  famous  for 
their  fraternal  affection.  Endowed  with  various  manly  virtues,  — 
Castor,  a  horse-tamer,  Pollux,  a  boxer,  —  they  made  all  expedi- 
tions in  common.  Together,  they  joined  the  Calydonian  hunt. 
Together,  they  accompanied  the  Argonauts.  During  the  voyage 
to  Colchis  it  is  said  that,  a  storm  arising,  Orpheus  prayed  to  the 
Samothracian  gods,  and  played  on  his  harp,  and  that  when  the 
storm  ceased,  stars  appeared  on  the  heads  of  the  brothers.  Hence 
they  came  to  be  honored  as  patrons  of  voyagers. 

When  Theseus  and  his  friend  Pirithoiis  had  carried  off  Helen 
from  Sparta,  the  youthful  heroes,  Castor  and  Pollux,  with  their 
followers,  hasted  to  her  rescue.  Theseus  being  absent  from  Attica, 
the  brothers  recovered  their  sister.  Still  later,  we  find  Castor  and 
Pollux  engaged  in  a  combat  with  Idas  and  Lynceus  of  Messene, 
whose  brides  they  had  attempted  to  abduct.  Castor  was  slain ; 
but  Pollux,  inconsolable  for  the  loss  of  his  brother,  besought  Jupiter 
to  be  permitted  to  give  his  own  life  as  a  ransom  for  him.  Jupiter 
so  far  consented  as  to  allow  the  two  brothers  to  enjoy  the  boon  of 
life  alternately,  each  spending  one  day  under  the  earth  and  the 
next  in  the  heavenly  abodes.  According  to  another  version,  Jupi- 
ter rewarded  the  attachment  of  the  brothers  by  i)lacing  them 
among  the  stars  as  Gemini,  the  Twins.  They  received  heroic 
honors  as  the  Tyndaridae  (sons  of  Tyndareus)  ;  divine  honors 
they  received  under  the  name  of  Dioscuri  (sons  of  Jove). 


So  like  they  were,  no  mortal 

Might  one  from  other  know; 
White  as  snow  their  armor  was, 

Their  steeds  were  white  as  snow. 
Never  on  earthly  anvil 

Did  such  rare  armor  gleam, 
And  never  did  such  gallant  steeds 

Drink  of  an  earthly  stream. 


HOUSES   CONCERNED   IN   THE    TROJAN   WAR.         283 

.  .  .  Back  comes  the  chief  in  triumph 

Who  in  the  hour  of  tight 
Hath  seen  the  great  Twin  Brethren 

In  harness  on  his  right. 
Safe  comes  the  ship  to  haven, 

Through  billows  and  through  gales 
If  once  the  great  Twin  Brethren 

Sit  shining  on  the  sails. ^ 

1  Macaulay,  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,  The  Battle  of  Lake  Regillus. 


284  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


THE    TROJAN    WAR. 


...  At  length  I  saw  a  lady  within  call, 

Stiller  than  chisell'd  marble,  standing  there; 

A  daughter  of  the  gods,  divinely  tall, 
And  most  divinely  fair. 

Her  loveliness  with  shame  and  with  surprise 
Froze  my  swift  speech:    she  turning  on  my  face 

The  star-like  sorrows  of  immortal  eyes. 
Spoke  slowly  in  her  place. 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  285 

"  I  had  great  beauty :    ask  thou  not  my  name : 

No  one  can  be  more  wise  than  destiny. 
Many  drew  swords  and  died.     Where'er  I  came 

I  brought  calamity."  ^ 

§  167.  Its  Origin.  —  At  the  nuptials  of  Peleus  and  Thetis  all 
the  gods  had  been  invited  with  the  exception  of  Eris,  or  Discord. 
Knraged  at  her  exclusion,  the  goddess  threw  a  golden  apple  among 
the  guests,  with  the  inscription,  "  For  the  fairest."  Thereupon 
Juno,  Venus,  and  Minerva  each  claimed  the  apple.  Not  willing 
to  decide  so  delicate  a  matter,  Jupiter  sent  the  goddesses  to  Mount 
Ida,  where  Paris,  son  of  Priam,  king  of  Troy,  was  tending  his 
flocks  ;  and  to  him  was  committed  the  judgment.  The  goddesses 
appeared  before  him.  Juno  promised  him  power  and  riches, 
Minerva  glory  and  renown  in  war,  Venus  the  fairest  of  women  for 
his  wife,  —  each  attempting  to  bias  the  judge  in  her  own  favor. 
Paris  decided  in  favor  of  the  last,  thus  making  the  two  other  god- 
desses his  enemies.  Under  the  protection  of  the  goddess  of  love, 
he  soon  afterwards  sailed  to  Greece.  Here,  he  was  hospitably 
received  by  Menelaiis,  whose  wife,  Helen,  as  fairest  of  her  sex, 
was  unfortunately  the  prize  destined  for  Paris.  This  fair  queen 
had  in  time  past  been  sought  by  numerous  suitors  ;  but  before  her 
decision  was  made  known,  they  all,  at  the  suggestion  of  Ulysses, 
son  of  Laertes,  king  of  Ithaca,  had  taken  an  oath  that  they  would 
sustain  her  choice  and  avenge  her  cause  if  necessary.  She  was 
living  happily  with  Menelaiis  when  Paris  becoming  their  guest  made 
love  to  her;  and  then,  aided  by  Venus,  persuaded  her  to  elope 
with  him,  and  carried  her  to  Troy.  From  this  cause  arose  the 
famous  Trojan  War,  —  the  theme  of  the  greatest  poems  of  antiq- 
uity, those  of  Homer  and  Vergil. 

Menelaiis  called  upon  the  chieftains  of  Greece  to  aid  him  in 
recovering  his  wife.  They  came  forward  with  a  few  excep- 
tions. Ulysses,  for  instance,  who  had  married  a  cousin  of 
Helen's,  Penelope,-  daughter  of  Icarius,  was  happy  in  his  wife 
and  child,  and  loth  to  embark  in  the  troublesome  affair.     Pala- 

1  From  Tennyson's  Dream  of  Fair  Women.  2.  \  173. 


286 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


medes  was  sent  to  urge  him.  But  when  Palamedes  arrived  at 
Ithaca,  Ulysses  pretended  madness.  He  yoked  an  ass  and  an 
ox  together  to  the  plough,  and  began  to  sow  salt.  The  am- 
bassador, to  try  him,  placed  the  infant  I'elemachus  before  the 
plough,  whereupon  the  father  turning  the  plough  aside,  showed 


that  his  insanity  was  a  mere  pretence.  Being  himself  gained  for  the 
undertaking,  Ulysses  lent  his  aid  to  bring  in  other  reluctant  chiefs, 
especially  Achilles,  son  of  Peleus  and  Thetis.  Thetis  being  herself 
one  of  the  immortals,  and  knowing  that  her  son  was  fated  to  perish 
before  Troy  if  he  went  on  the  expedition,  endeavored  to  prevent  his 
going.     She,  accordingly,  sent  him  to  the  court  of  King  Lycomedes 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  287 

of  the  island  of  Scyros,  and  induced  him  to  conceal  himself  in  the 
disguise  of  a  maiden  among  the  daughters  of  the  king.  Hearing 
that  the  young  Achilles  was  there,  Ulysses  went  disguised  as  a  mer- 
chant to  the  palace,  and  offered  for  sale  female  ornaments,  among 
which  had  been  placed  some  arms.  Forgetting  the  part  he  had  as- 
sumed, Achilles  handled  the  weapons,  and  thereby  betrayed  himself 
to  Ulysses,  who  found  no  great  difficulty  in  persuading  him  to  dis- 
regard his  mother's  counsels  and  join  his  countrymen  in  the  war. 

It  seems  that  from  early  youth  Paris  had  been  reared  in  obscur- 
ity, because  there  were  forebodings  that  he  would  be  the  ruin  of  the 
state.  These  forebodings  appeared,  at  last,  likely  to  be  realized ; 
for  the  Grecian  armament  now  in  preparation  was  the  greatest  that 
had  ever  been  fitted  out.  Agamemnon,  king  of  Mycenae  and 
brother  of  Menalaiis,  was  chosen  commander-in-chief.  Pre-emi- 
nent among  the  warriors  was  the  swift-footed  Achilles.  After  him 
ranked  his  cousin  Ajax,  the  son  of  Telamon,  gigantic  in  size  and  of 
great  courage,  but  dull  of  intellect ;  Diomede,  the  son  of  Tydeus, 
second  only  to  Achilles  in  all  the  qualities  of  a  hero ;  Ulysses, 
famous  for  sagacity ;  and  Nestor,  the  oldest  of  the  Grecian  chiefs, 
—  to  whom  they  all  looked  up  for  counsel. 

But  Troy  was  no  feeble  enemy.  Priam  the  king,  son  of  Laome- 
don  and  brother  of  Tithonus  and  Hesione,  was  now  old ;  but  he 
had  been  a  wise  prince,  and  had  strengthened  his  state  by  good 
government  at  home  and  numerous  alliances  with  his  neighbors. 
By  his  wife  Hecuba,  he  had  a  numerous  family;  but  the  prin- 
cipal stay  and  support  of  his  throne  was  his  son  Hector,  one  of 
the  noblest  figures  of  antiquity.  He  had,  from  the  first,  a 
presentiment  of  the  ruin  of  Troy,  but  still  he  persevered  in  he- 
roic resistance,  though  he  by  no  means  justified  the  wrong  which 
brought  this  danger  upon  his  country.  He  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  the  noble  Andromache,  and  as  husband  and  father 
his  character  was  not  less  admirable  than  as  warrior.  The  prin- 
cipal leaders  on  the  side  of  the  Trojans,  beside  Hector,  were 
his  relative,  .^neas,  the  son  of  Venus  and  Anchises,  Deiphobus, 
Glaucus,  and  Sarpedon. 


288  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Iphigenia  in  Aulis.  —  After  two  years  of  preparation,  the  Greek 
fleet  and  army  assembled  in  the  port  of  Aulis  in  Boeotia.  Here 
Agamemnon,  while  hunting,  killed  a  stag  that  was  sacred  to  Diana. 
The  goddess  in  retribution  visited  the  army  with  pestilence,  and 
produced  a  calm  which  prevented  the  ships  from  leaving  the  port. 
Thereupon,  Calchas  the  soothsayer  announced  that  the  wrath  of 
the  virgin  goddess  could  only  be  appeased  by  the  sacrifice  of  a 
virgin,  and  that  none  other  but  the  daughter  of  the  offender  would 
be  acceptable.  Agamemnon,  however  reluctant,  submitted  to  the 
inevitable,  and  sent  for  his  daughter  Iphigenia,  under  the  pretence 
that  her  marriage  to  Achilles  was  to  be  at  once  performed.  But, 
in  the  moment  of  sacrifice,  Diana,  relenting,  snatched  the  maiden 
away  and  left  a  hind  in  her  place.  Iphigenia,  enveloped  in  a 
cloud,  was  conveyed  to  Tauris,  where  Diana  made  her  priestess  of 
her  temple.' 

Iphigenia  is  represented  as  thus  describing  her  feelings  at  the 
moment  of  sacrifice  :  — 

"  I  was  cut  off  from  hope  in  that  sad  place, 

Which  yet  to  name  my  spirit  loathes  and  fears; 
My  father  held  his  hand  upon  his  face; 
I,  blinded  by  my  tears, 

"  Still  strove  to  speak :    my  voice  was  thick  with  sighs, 
As  in  a  dream.     Dimly  I  could  descry 
The  stern  black-bearded  kings,  with  wolfish  eyes. 
Waiting  to  see  me  die. 

"The  high  masts  flickered  as  they  lay  afloat, 

The  crowds,  the  temples  wavered  and  the  shore; 
The  bright  death  quivered  at  the  victim's  throat; 
Touched;    and  I  knew  no  more."^ 

Protesilaiis  and  Laodamia.  —  The  wind  now  proving  fair,  the 
fleet  made  sail  and  brought  the  forces  to  the  coast  of  Troy.  The 
Trojans   opposed   their  landing;   and  at  the  first  onset  one  of 

1  Euripides,  Iphigenia  at  Aulis,  Iphigenia  among  the  Tauri. 

2  From  Tennyson's  Dream  of  Fair  Women. 


THE    TROJAN    WAR.  289 

the  noblest  of  the  Greeks,  Protesilaiis,  fell  by  the  hand  of  Hector. 
This  Protesilaiis  had  left  at  home  his  wife  Laodamia  (a  niece  of 
Alcestis),  —  who  was  most  tenderly  attached  to  him.  The  story 
runs  that  when  the  news  of  his  death  reached  her,  she  implored 
the  gods  for  leave  to  converse  with  him  if  but  for  three  hours. 
The  request  was  granted.  Mercury  led  Protesikiiis  back  to  the 
upper  world ;  and  when  the  hero  died  a  second  time  Laodamia 
died  with  him.  It  is  said  that  the  nymphs  planted  elm  trees 
round  his  grave,  which  flourished  till  they  were  high  enough  to 
command  a  view  of  Troy,  then  withered  away,  giving  place  to 
fresh  branches  that  sprang  from  the  roots. 

Wordsworth  has  taken  the  story  of  Protesilaiis  and  Laodamia 
for  a  poem  invested  with  the  atmosphere  of  the  classics.  The 
oracle,  according  to  the  tradition,  had  declared  that  victory  should 
be  the  lot  of  that  party  from  which  should  fall  the  first  victim 
in  the  war.  The  poet  represents  the  Protesilaiis,  on  his  brief  re- 
turn to  earth,  relating  to  Laodamia  the  story  of  his  fate  :  — 

"The  wished-for  wind  was  given;    I  then  revolved 

The  oracle  upon  the  silent  sea; 
And  if  no  worthier  led  the  way,  resolved 

That  of  a  thousand  vessels  mine  should  be 
The  foremost  prow  in  pressing  to  the  strand,  — 
Mine  the  first  blood  that  tinged  the  Trojan  sand. 

"  Yet  bitter,  oft-times  bitter  was  the  pang 

When  of  thy  loss  I  thought,  beloved  Wife ! 

On  thee  too  fondly  did  my  memory  hang, 
And  on  the  joys  we  shared  in  mortal  life,  — 

The  paths  which  we  had  trod  —  these  fountains,  flowers; 

My  new-planned  cities  and  unfinished  towers. 

"But  should  suspense  permit  the  foe  to  cry, 

'  Behold  they  tremble  !  —  haughty  their  array, 
Yet  of  their  number  no  one  dares  to  die?' 

In  soul  I  swept  the  indignity  away : 
Old  frailties  then  recurred :  —  but  lofty  thought 
In  act  embodied,  my  deliverance  wrought-"  .  .  , 


290  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

.  .  .  Upon  the  side 

Of  Hellespont  (such  faith  was  entertained) 
A  knot  of  spiry  trees  for  ages  grew 

From  out  the  tomb  of  him  for  whom  she  died; 

And  ever  when  such  stature  they  had  gained 
That  Ilium's  walls  were  subject  to  their  view, 
The  trees'  tall  summits  withered  at  the  sight: 
A  constant  interchange  of  growth  and  blight ! 

§  i68.  Homer's  Ilia^.^  —  The  war  continued  without  decisive 
result  for  nine  years.  Then  an  event  occurred  which  seemed 
Hkely  to  prove  fatal  to  the  cause  of  the  Greeks,  —  a  quarrel  be- 
tween Achilles  and  Agamemnon.  It  is  at  this  point  that  the  great 
poem  of  Homer,  the  Iliad,  begins. 

The  Wrath  of  Achilles.  —  The  Greeks,  though  unsuccessful 
against  Troy,  had  taken  the  neighboring  and  allied  cities  ;  and  in 
the  division  of  the  spoil  a  female  captive,  by  name  Chryseis, 
daughter  of  Chryses,  priest  of  Apollo,  had  fallen  to  the  share  of 
Agamemnon.  Chryses  came  bearing  the  sacred  emblems  of  his 
office,  and  begged  the  release  of  his  daughter.  Agamemnon 
refused.  Thereupon  Chryses  implored  Apollo  to  afflict  the  Greeks 
till  they  should  be  forced  to  yield  their  prey.^  Apollo  granted  the 
prayer  of  his  priest,  and  sent  such  pestilence  upon  the  Grecian 
camp,  that  a  council  was  called  to  deliberate  how  to  allay  the  wrath 
of  the  gods  and  avert  the  plague.  Achilles  boldly  charged  the  mis- 
fortunes upon  Agamemnon  as  caused  by  his  withholding  Chryseis. 
Agamemnon,  in  anger,  consented,  thereupon,  to  relinquish  his  cap- 
tive, but  demanded  that  Achilles  should  yield  to  him  in  her  stead 
Brisei's,  a  maiden  who  had  fallen  to  that  hero's  share  in  the  divi- 
sion of  the  spoil.  Achilles  submitted,  but  declared  that  he  would 
take  no  further  part  in  the  war,  —  withdrew  his  forces  from  the 
general  camp,  and  avowed  his  intention  of  returning  to  Greece. 

The  Enlistment  of  the  Gods.  — The  gods  and  goddesses  inter- 
ested themselves  as  much  in  this  famous  siege  as  did  the  parties 

1  For  translations,  see  Commentary,  {  ii.  On  Chapman's  Homer,  read  the 
sonnet  by  Keats.  2  j  76. 


THE    TROJAN    WAR. 


291 


themselves.  It  was  well  known  in  heaven  that  fate  had  decreed 
the  fall  of  Troy,  if  her  enemies  only  persevered.  Yet  there  was 
room  for  chance  sufficient  to  excite  by  turns  the  hopes  and  fears 
of  the  powers  above  who  took  part  with  either  side.  Juno  and 
Minerva,  in  consequence  of  the  slight  put  upon  their  charms  by 


Paris,  were  hostile  to  the  Trojans ;  Venus  for  the  opposite  cause 
favored  them ;  she  enlisted,  also,  her  admirer  Mars  on  the  same 
side.  Neptune  favored  the  Greeks.  Apollo  was  neutral,  sometimes 
taking  one  side,  sometimes  the  other.  Jove  himself,  though  he 
loved  Priam,  exercised  a  degree  of  impartiality,  —  not,  however, 
without  exceptions. 


292 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 


Resenting  the  injury  done  by  Agamemnon  to  her  son,  Thetis 
repaired  to  Jove's  palace  and  besought  him  to  grant  success  to 
the  Trojan  arms  and  so  make  the  Greeks  repent  of  their  injustice 
to  Achilles.  Jupiter  consented ;  and  in  the  battle  which  ensued 
the  Trojans  were  completely  successful.  The  Greeks  were  driven 
from  the  field  and  took  refuge  in  their  ships. 

Then  Agamemnon,  king  of  men,  called  a  council  of  his  wisest 
and  bravest  chiefs.  In  the  debate  that  ensued,  Nestor  advised 
that  an  embassy  should  be  sent  to  Achilles  persuading  him  to 
return  to  the  field  ;  and  that  Agamemnon  should  yield  the  maiden, 
the  cause  of  dispute,  with  ample  gifts  to  atone  for  the  wrong  he 
had  done.  Agamemnon  assented ;  and  Ulysses,  Ajax,  and  Phoenix 
were  sent  to  carry  to  Achilles  the  penitent  message.  They  per- 
formed that  duty,  but  Achilles  was  deaf  to  their  entreaties.  He 
positively  refused  to  return  to  the  attack,  and  persisted  in  his 
determination  to  embark  for  Greece  without  delay. 

Meanwhile  the  Greeks  having   constructed  a  rampart  around 

their  ships,  were  now,  instead  of 
besieging  Troy,  in  a  manner 
themselves  besieged,  within  their 
rampart.  The  next  day  after 
the  unsuccessful  embassy  to 
Achilles,  another  battle  was 
fought,  after  which  the  Trojans, 
favored  by  Jove,  succeeded  in 
forcing  a  passage  through  the 
Grecian  rampart,  and  were  about 
to  set  fire  to  the  ships.  But  Nep- 
tune, seeing  the  Greeks  hard 
pressed,  came  to  their  rescue. 
Appearing  in  the  form  of  Cal- 
chas  the  prophet,  he  raised  the 
ardor  of  the  warriors  to  such  a  pitch  that  they  forced  the  Trojans 
to  give  way.  Here  Ajax,  son  of  Telamon,  performed  prodigies  of 
valor.     Bearing  his  massy  shield,  and  "  shaking  his  far  shadowing 


THE    TROJAN    IV A R.  293 

spear,"  he  encountered  Hector.'  The  Greek  shouted  defiance,  to 
which  Hector  replied,  and  hurled  his  lance  at  the  huge  warrior. 
It  was  well  aimed  and  struck  Ajax  where  the  belts  that  bore  his 
sword  and  shield  crossed  each  other  on  the  breast,  but  the  double 
guard  prevented  its  penetrating,  and  it  fell  harmless.  Then  Ajax 
seizing  a  huge  stone,  one  of  those  that  served  to  prop  the  ships, 
hurled  it  at  Hector.  It  struck  him  near  the  neck  and  stretched 
him  on  the  plain.  His  followers  instantly  seized  him  and  bore  him 
off  stunned  and  wounded. 

While  Neptune  was  thus  aiding  the  Greeks  and  driving  back 
the  Trojans,  Jupiter  saw  nothing  of  what  was  going  on,  for  his 
attention  had  been  drawn  from  the  field  by  the  wiles  of  Juno. 
That  goddess  had  arrayed  herself  in  all  her  charms,  and  to  crown 
all  had  borrowed  of  Venus  her  girdle,  the  Cestus,  which  enhanced 
the  wearer's  charms  to  such  a  degree  that  they  were  irresist- 
ible. So  prepared,  Juno  had  joined  her  husband,  who  sat  on 
Olympus  watching  the  battle.  When  he  beheld  her,  the  fondness 
of  his  early  love  revived,  and  forgetting  the  contending  armies 
and  all  other  affairs  of  state,  he  gave  himself  up  to  her  and  let 
the  battle  go  as  it  would. 

But  this  oblivion  did  not  continue  long.  When,  upon  turning 
his  eyes  downward,  the  cloud-compeller  beheld  Hector  stretched, 
almost  lifeless,  on  the  plain,  he  angrily  dismissed  Juno,  command- 
ing her  to  send  Iris  and  Apollo  to  him.  The  former  bore  a  per- 
emptory message  to  Neptune,  ordering  him  to  quit  the  contest. 
Apollo  was  despatched  to  heal  Hector's  bruises  and  to  inspirit  his 
heart.  These  orders  were  obeyed  with  such  speed  that  while  the 
battle  was  still  raging,  Hector  returned  to  the  field,  and  Neptune 
betook  himself  to  his  own  dominions. 

Achilles  and  Patroclus.  —  An  arrow  from  the  bow  of  Paris 
wounded  Machaon,  son  of  /Esculapius,  a  brave  warrior,  who, 
having  inherited  his  father's  art,  was  of  great  value  to  the  Greeks 

1  The  passage  which  precedes  the  first  conflict  between  these  heroes,  describing 
the  farewell  of  Hector  to  Andromache  his  wife  and  Astyanax  his  son,  is  the  most 
delicate  and  pathetic  in  the  Iliad  (6:  370-500). 


294  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

as  their  surgeon.  Nestor,  taking  Machaon  in  his  chariot,  con- 
veyed him  from  the  field.  As  they  passed  the  ships  of  Achilles, 
that  hero,  looking  over  the  battle,  saw  the  chariot  of  Nestor, 
and  recognized  the  old  chief,  but  could  not  discern  who  the 
wounded  warrior  was.  Calling  Patroclus,  his  companion  and 
dearest  friend,  he  sent  him  to  Nestor's  tent  to  inquire.  Patro- 
clus, performing  the  behest,  saw  Machaon  wounded,  and  having 
told  the  cause  of  his  coming  would  have  hastened  away,  but 
Nestor  detained  him,  to  tell  him  the  extent  of  the  Grecian 
calamities.  He  reminded  him  also  how,  at  the  time  of  the  de- 
parture for  Troy,  Achilles  and  himself  had  been  charged  by  their 
respective  sires :  the  one  to  aspire  to  the  highest  pitch  of  glory ; 
the  other,  as  the  elder,  to  keep  watch  over  his  friend,  and  to  guide 
his  inexperience.  "  Now,"  said  Nestor,  "  is  the  time  for  such 
guidance.  If  the  gods  so  please,  thou  mayest  win  Achilles  back  to 
the  common  cause  ;  but  if  not,  let  him  at  least  send  his  soldiers 
to  the  field,  and  come  thou,  Patroclus,  clad  in  his  armor.  Perhaps 
the  very  sight  of  it  may  drive  back  the  Trojans." 

Patroclus  in  the  Armor  of  Achilles.  —  Patroclus,  strongly 
moved  by  this  address,  hastened  to  his  friend,  revolving  in  his 
mind  what  he  had  seen  and  heard.  He  told  the  prince  the  sad 
condition  of  affairs  at  the  camp  of  their  late  associates ;  Diomede, 
Ulysses,  Agamemnon,  Machaon,  all  wounded,  the  rampart  broken 
down,  the  enemy  among  the  ships  preparing  to  bum  them,  and 
thus  to  cut  off  all  means  of  return  to  Greece.  While  they  spoke, 
the  flames  burst  forth  from  one  of  the  ships.  Achilles,  at  the  sight, 
relented  so  far  as  to  entrust  Patroclus  with  the  Myrmidons  for  the 
onslaught,  and  to  lend  him  his  armor  that  he  might  thereby 
strike  the  more  terror  into  the  minds  of  the  Trojans.  Without 
delay  the  soldiers  were  marshalled,  Patroclus  put  on  the  radiant 
armor,  mounted  the  chariot  of  Achilles,  and  led  forth  the  men 
ardent  for  battle.  But  before  his  friend  went,  Achilles  strictly 
charged  him  to  be  content  with  repelling  the  foe.  "  Seek 
not,"  said  he,  "  to  press  the  Trojans  without  me,  lest  thou 
add  still  more  to  the  disgrace  already  mine."     Then  exhorting 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  295 

the  troops  to  do  their  best,  he  dismissed  them  full  of  ardor  to 
the  fight. 

Patroclus  and  his  Myrmidons  at  once  plunged  into  the  contest 
where  it  raged  hottest ;  at  the  sight  of  them  the  joyful  Grecians 
shouted,  and  the  ships  re-echoed  the  acclaim  ;  but  the  Trojans, 
beholding  the  well-known  armor,  struck  with  terror,  looked 
everywhere  for  refuge.  First  those  who  had  got  possession  of 
the  ship  and  set  it  on  fire  allowed  the  Grecians  to  retake  it  and 
extinguish  the  flames.  Then  the  rest  fled  in  dismay.  Ajax, 
Menelaiis,  and  the  two  sons  of  Nestor  performed  prodigies  of 
valor.  Hector  was  forced  to  turn  his  horses'  heads  and  retire 
from  the  enclosure,  leaving  his  men  encumbered  in  the  fosse  to 
escape  as  they  could.  Patroclus  drove  all  before  him,  slaying 
many ;  nor  did  one  dare  to  make  a  stand  against  him. 

The  Death  of  Sarpedon.  —  At  last  the  grandson  of  Bellerophon, 
Sarpedon,  son  of  Jove  and  Laodamia,  ventured  to  oppose  the 
Greek  warrior.  The  Olympian  looked  down  upon  his  son,  and 
would  have  snatched  him  from  the  fate  impending,  but  Juno 
hinted  that  if  he  did  so  the  other  inhabitants  of  heaven  might  be 
induced  to  interpose  in  like  manner  whenever  any  of  their  ofispring 
were  endangered  ;  an  argument  to  which  Jove  yielded.  Sarpedon 
threw  his  spear,  but  missed  Patroclus ;  the  spear  of  the  Greek,  on 
the  other  hand,  pierced  Sarpedon's  breast,  —  and  he  fell,  caUing  to 
his  friends  to  save  his  body  from  the  foe.  Then  a  furious  contest 
arose  for  the  corpse.  The  Greeks  succeeded  in  stripping  Sarpedon 
of  his  armor ;  but  Jove  would  not  suffer  the  body  to  be  dishonored. 
By  his  command  Apollo  snatched  it  from  the  midst  of  the  com- 
batants and  committed  it  to  the  care  of  the  twin  brothers  Death 
and  Sleep.  By  them  it  was  transported  to  Lycia,  Sarpedon's 
native  land,  and  there  received  due  funeral  rites. 

Thus  far  Patroclus  had  succeeded  to  the  utmost  in  repelling  the 
foe  and  relieving  his  countrymen,  but  now  came  a  change  of 
fortune.  Hector,  borne  in  his  chariot,  confronted  him.  Patroclus 
threw  a  vast  stone  at  the  Trojan,  which  missed  its  aim,  but  smote 
Cebriones,  the  charioteer,  and  felled  him  from  the  car.     Hector 


2%  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

leaped  from  the  chariot  to  rescue  his  friend,  and  Patroclus  also 
descended  to  complete  his  victory.  Thus  the  two  heroes  met 
face  to  face.  At  this  decisive  moment  the  poet,  as  if  reluctant  to 
give  Hector  the  glory,  records  that  Phoebus  Apollo,  taking  part 
against  Patroclus,  struck  the  helmet  from  his  head  and  the  lance 
from  his  hand.  At  the  same  moment  an  obscure  Trojan  wounded 
him  in  the  back,  and  Hector  pressing  forward  pierced  him  with 
his  spear.     He  fell  mortally  wounded. 

Then  arose  a  tremendous  conflict  for  the  body  of  Patroclus ; 
but  his  armor  was  at  once  taken  possession  of  by  Hector,  who, 
retiring  a  short  distance,  divested  himself  of  his  own  mail,  put  on 
that  of  Achilles,  then  returned  to  the  fight.  Ajax  and  Menelaus 
defended  the  body,  and  Hector  and  his  bravest  warriors  struggled 
to  capture  it.  The  battle  still  raged  with  equal  fortune,  when 
Jove  enveloped  the  whole  face  of  heaven  in  a  cloud.  The  light- 
ning flashed,  the  thunder  roared,  and  Ajax,  looking  round  for 
some  one  whom  he  might  despatch  to  Achilles  to  tell  him  of  the 
death  of  his  friend  and  of  the  imminent  danger  of  his  remains 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  could  see  no  suitable  messen- 
ger.    In  desperation,  he  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Father  of  heaven  and  earth !    deliver  thou 
Achaia's  host  from  darkness;    clear  the  skies; 
Give  day;    and,  since  thy  sovereign  will  is  such, 
Destruction  with  it;    but,  oh,  give  us  day!"* 

Jupiter  heard  the  prayer  and  dispersed  the  clouds.  Ajax  sent 
Antilochus  to  Achilles  with  the  intelligence  of  Patroclus'  death, 
and  of  the  conflict  raging  for  his  remains ;  and  the  Clreeks  at  last 
succeeded  in  bearing  off  the  body  to  the  ships,  closely  pursued 
by  Hector  and  ^neas  and  the  rest  of  the  Trojans. 

The  Remorse  of  Achilles.  — Achilles  heard  the  fate  of  his  friend 
with  such  distress  that  Antilochus  feared  for  a  while  lest  he  might 
destroy  himself.  His  groans  reached  the  ears  of  Thetis,  far  down 
in  the  deeps  of  ocean  where  she  abode,  and  she  hastened  to  inquire 

1  Cowper's  translation.    The  lines  are  often  quoted. 


THE    TROJAN   WAR.  297 

the  cause.  She  found  him  overwhelmed  with  self-reproach  that 
he  had  suffered  his  friend  to  fill  a  victim  to  his  resentment.  His 
only  consolation  was  the  hope  of  revenge.  He  would  fly  instantly 
in  search  of  Hector.  But  his  mother  reminded  him  that  he  was 
now  without  armor,  and  promised,  if  he  would  but  wait  till  the 
morrow,  to  procure  for  him  a  suit  of  armor  from  Vulcan  more 
than  equal  to  that  he  had  lost.  He  consented,  and  Thetis  imme- 
diately repaired  to  Vulcan's  palace.  She  found  him  busy  at  his 
forge,  making  tripods  for  his  own  use,  so  artfully  constructed  that 
they  moved  forward  of  their  own  accord  when  wanted,  and  retired 
again  when  dismissed.  On  hearing  the  request  of  Thetis,  Vulcan 
immediately  laid  aside  his  work  and  hastened  to  comply  with  her 
wishes.  He  fabricated  a  splendid  suit  of  armor  for  Achilles ;  first 
a  shield  adorned  with  elaborate  devices,  then  a  helmet  crested 
with  gold,  then  a  corselet  and  greaves  of  impenetrable  temper,  all 
perfectly  adapted  to  the  hero's  form,  and  of  consummate  work- 
manship. The  suit  was  made  in  one  night ;  and  Thetis,  receiving 
it,  descended  to  earth  and  laid  it  at  Achilles'  feet  at  the  dawn  of 
day. 

The  Reconciliation  of  Agamemnon  and  Achilles.  —  The  first 
glow  of  pleasure  that  Achilles  had  felt  since  the  death  of  Patro- 
clus  was  at  the  sight  of  this  splendid  armor.  And  now  arrayed 
in  it,  he  went  forth  to  the  camp,  calling  the  chiefs  to  council. 
When  the  leaders  were  assembled,  Achilles  addressed  them. 
Renouncing  his  displeasure  against  Agamemnon  and  bitterly 
lamenting  the  miseries  that  had  resulted  from  it,  he  called  on 
them  to  proceed  at  once  to  the  field.  Agamemnon  made  a 
suitable  reply,  laying  the  blame  on  Ate,  the  goddess  of  infatua- 
tion ;  and  thereupon  complete  reconcilement  took  place  between 
the  heroes. 

Then  Achilles  went  forth  to  battle,  inspired  with  a  rage  and 
thirst  for  vengeance  that  made  him  irresistible.  The  bravest  war- 
riors fled  before  him,  or  fell  by  his  lance.  Hector,  cautioned  by 
Apollo,  kept  aloof;   but  the  god,  assuming  the  form  of  one  of 


298  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Priam's  sons,  Lycaon,  urged  ^4^neas  to  encounter  the  terrible  war- 
rior, ^neas,  though  he  felt  himself  unequal,  did  not  dedine  the 
combat.  He  hurled  his  spear  with  all  his  force  against  the  shield, 
the  work  of  Vulcan.  The  spear  pierced  two  plates  of  the  shield, 
but  was  stopped  in  the  third.  Achilles  threw  his  spear  with  better 
success.  It  pierced  through  the  shield  of  ^neas,  but  glanced 
near  his  shoulder  and  made  no  wound.  Then  ^neas,  seizing  a 
stone,  such  as  two  men  of  modern  times  could  hardly  lift,  was 
about  to  throw  it,  —  and  Achilles,  with  sword  drawn,  was  about  to 
rush  upon  him,  —  when  Neptune,  looking  out  upon  the  contest,  had 
pity  upon  ^neas,  who  was  sure  to  have  the  worst  of  it.  The  god, 
consequently,  spread  a  cloud  between  the  combatants,  and  lifting 
the  Trojan  from  the  ground,  bore  him  over  the  heads  of  warriors 
and  steeds  to  the  rear  of  the  battle.  Achilles,  when  the  mist 
cleared  away,  looked  round  in  vain  for  his  adversary,  and  acknowl- 
edging the  prodigy,  turned  his  arms  against  other  champions. 
But  none  dared  stand  before  him  ;  and  Priam  from  his  city  walls 
beheld  the  whole  army  in  full  flight  toward  the  city.  He  gave 
command  to  open  wide  the  gates  to  receive  the  fugitives,  and  to 
shut  them  as  soon  as  the  Trojans  should  have  passed,  lest  the 
enemy  should  enter  likewise.  But  Achilles  was  so  close  in  pursuit 
that  that  would  have  been  impossible  if  Apollo  had  not,  in  the 
form  of  Agenor,  Priam's  son,  first  encountered  the  swift-footed 
hero,  then  turned  in  flight,  and  taken  the  way  apart  from  the  city. 
Achilles  pursued,  and  ha'd  chased  his  supposed  victim  far  from 
the  walls  before  the  god  disclosed  himself. 

The  Fall  of  Hector.  —  But  when  the  rest  had  escaped  into  the 
town  Hector  stood  v/ithout  determined  to  await  the  combat.  His 
father  called  to  him  from  the  walls,  begging  him  to  retire  nor 
tempt  the  encounter.  His  mother,  Hecuba,  also  besought  him, 
but  all  in  vain.  "  How  can  I,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  by  whose 
command  the  people  went  to  this  day's  contest  where  so  many 
have  fallen,  seek  refuge  for  myself  from  a  single  foe?  Or  shall 
I  offer  to  yield  up  Helen  and  all  her  treasures  and  ample  of  our 
own  beside  ?     Ah  no  !    even  that  is  too  late.      He  would  not 


THE    TROJAN    WAR.  299 

hear  me  through,  but  slay  me  while  I  spoke."  While  he  thus 
ruminated,  Achilles  approached,  terrible  as  Mars,  his  armor  flash- 
ing lightning  as  he  moved.  At  that  sight  Hector's  heart  failed 
him  and  he  fled.  Achilles  swiftly  pursued.  They  ran,  still  keeping 
near  the  walls,  till  they  had  thrice  encircled  the  city.  As  often  as 
Hector  approached  the  walls  Achilles  intercepted  him  and  forced 
him  to  keep  out  in  a  wider  circle.  But  Apollo  sustained  Hector's 
strength  and  would  not  let  hira  sink  in  weariness.  Then  Pallas 
assuming  the  form  of  Deiphobus,  Hector's  bravest  brother,  ap- 
peared suddenly  at  his  side.  Hector  saw  him  with  delight, 
and  thus  strengthened,  stopped  his  flight  and,  turning  to  meet 
Achilles,  threw  his  spear.  It  stnick  the  shield  of  Achilles  and 
bounded  back.  He  turned  to  receive  another  from  the  hand  of 
Deiphobus,  but  Deiphobus  was  gone.  Then  Hector  understood 
his  doom  and  said,  "  Alas  !  it  is  plain  this  is  my  hour  to  die  !  I 
thought  Deiphobus  at  hand,  but  Pallas  deceived  me,  and  he  is 
still  in  Troy.  But  I  will  not  fall  inglorious."  So  saying  he  drew 
his  falchion  from  his  side  and  rushed  at  once  to  combat.  Achilles 
secure  behind  his  shield  waited  the  approach  of  Hector.  When 
he  came  within  reach  of  his  spear,  Achilles  choosing  with  his  eye 
a  vulnerable  part  where  the  armor  leaves  the  neck  uncovered, 
aimed  his  spear  at  that  part,  and  Hector  fell,  death-wounded. 
Feebly  he  said,  "  Spare  my  body  !  Let  my  parents  ransom  it,  and 
let  me  receive  funeral  rites  from  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Troy." 
To  which  Achilles  replied,  "  Dog,  name  not  ransom  nor  pity  to 
me,  on  whom  you  have  brought  such  dire  distress.  No  !  trust 
me,  nought  shall  save  thy  carcass  from  the  dogs.  Though  twenty 
ransoms  and  thy  weight  in  gold  were  offered,  I  should  refuse  it  all." 
Achilles  drags  the  Body  of  Hector.  —  So  saying  the  son  of  Peleus 
stripped  the  body  of  its  armor,  and,  fastening  cords  to  the  feet,  tied 
them  behind  his  chariot,  leaving  the  body  to  trail  along  the  ground. 
Then  mounting  the  chariot  he  lashed  the  steeds  and  so  dragged 
the  body  to  and  fro  before  the  city.  No  words  can  tell  the  grief 
of  Priam  and  Hecuba  at  this  sight.  His  people  could  scarce 
restrain  the  aged  king  from  rushing  forth.     He  threw  himself  in 


300  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

the  dust  and  besought  them  each  by  name  to  let  him  pass.  He- 
cuba's distress  was  not  less  violent.  The  citizens  stood  round 
them  weeping.  The  sound  of  the  mourning  reached  the  ears  of 
Andromache,  the  wife  of  Hector,  as  she  sat  among  her  maidens  at 
work ;  and  anticipating  evil  she  went  forth  to  the  wall.  When  she 
saw  the  horror  there  presented,  she  would  have  thrown  herself 
headlong  from  the  wall,  but  fainted  and  fell  into  the  arms  of  her 
maidens.  Recovering,  she  bewailed  her  fate,  picturing  to  herself 
her  country  ruined,  herself  a  captive,  and  her  son,  the  youthful 
Astyanax,  dependent  for  his  bread  on  the  charity  of  strangers. 

After  Achilles  and  the  Greeks  had  thus  taken  their  revenge  on  the 
slayer  of  Patroclus  they  busied  themselves  in  paying  due  funeral 
rites  to  their  friend.  A  pile  was  erected,  and  the  body  burned 
with  due  solemnity.  Then  ensued  games  of  strength  and  skill, 
chariot  races,  wrestling,  boxing,  and  archery.  Later,  the  chiefs 
sat  down  to  the  funeral  banquet,  and  finally  retired  to  rest.  But 
Achilles  partook  neither  of  the  feast  nor  of  sleep.  The  recollec- 
tion of  his  lost  friend  kept  him  awake,  —  the  memory  of  their  com- 
panionship in  toil  and  dangers,  in  battle  or  on  the  perilous  deep. 
Before  the  earliest  dawn  he  left  his  tent,  and  joining  to  his  chariot 
his  swift  steeds,  he  fastened  Hector's  body  to  be  dragged  behind. 
Twice  he  dragged  him  round  the  tomb  of  Patroclus,  leaving  him 
at  length  stretched  in  the  dust.  But  Apollo  would  not  permit  the 
body  to  be  torn  or  disfigured  with  all  this  abuse  ;  he  preserved  it 
free  from  taint  or  defilement. 

While  Achilles  indulged  his  wrath  in  thus  disgracing  Hector, 
Jupiter  in  pity  summoned  Thetis  to  his  presence.  Bidding  her 
prevail  on  Achilles  to  restore  the  body  of  Hector  to  the  Trojans, 
he  sent  Iris  to  encourage  Priam  to  beg  of  Achilles  the  body 
of  his  son.  Iris  delivered  her  message,  and  Priam  prepared 
to  obey.  He  opened  his  treasuries  and  took  out  rich  garments 
and  cloths,  with  ten  talents  in  gold  and  two  splendid  tripods  and  a 
golden  cup  of  matchless  workmanship.  Then  he  called  to  his  sons 
and  bade  them  draw  forth  his  litter  and  place  in  it  the  various 
articles  designed  for  a  ransom  to  Achilles.     When  all  was  ready, 


THE    TROJAN    WAR. 


301 


the  old  king  with  a  single  companion  as  aged  as  himself,  the  herald 
Idaeus,  drove  forth  from  the  gates,  parting  there  with  Hecuba  his 
queen,  and  all  his  friends,  who  lamented  him  as  going  to  certain 
death. 

Priam  in  the  Tent  of  Achilles.  —  But  Jupiter,  beholding  with 
compassion  the  venerable  king,  sent  Mercury  to  be  his  guide  and 
protector.  Assuming  the  form  of  a  young  warrior,  Mercury 
presented  himself  to  the  aged  couple  ;  and,  when  at  the  sight  of 
him  they  hesitated  whether  to  fly  or  yield,  approaching  he  grasped 
Priam's  hand,  and  offered  to  be  their  guide  to  Achilles'  tent. 
Priam  gladly  accepted  his  service,  and  Mercury,  mounting  the 


carriage,  assumed  the  reins  and  conveyed  them  to  the  camp. 
Then  having  cast  the  guards  into  a  heavy  sleep,  he  introduced 
Priam  into  the  tent  where  Achilles  sat,  attended  by  two  of  his 
warriors.  The  aged  king  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  Achilles 
and  kissed  those  terrible  hands  which  had  destroyed  so  many 
of  his  sons.  "  Think,  O  Achilles,"  he  said,  "  of  thine  own  father, 
full  of  days  like  me,  and  trembling  on  the  gloomy  verge  of  life. 
Even  now,  mayhap,  some  neighbor  chief  oppresses  him  and  there 
is  none  at  hand  to  succor  him  in  his  distress.  Yet,  knowing 
that  Achilles  lives,  he  doubtless  still  rejoices,  hoping  that  one  day 
he  shall  see  thy  face  again.  But  me  no  comfort  cheers,  whose 
bravest  sons,  so  late  the  flower  of  Ilium,  all  have  fallen.  Yet 
one  I  had,  one  more  than  all  the  rest  the  strength  of  my  age, 


302  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

whom  fighting  for  his  country  thou  hast  slain.  His  body  I  come  to 
redeem,  bringing  inestimable  ransom  with  me.  Achilles  !  rever- 
ence the  gods  !  recollect  thy  father  !  for  his  sake  show  compassion 
to  me  ! "  These  words  moved  Achilles,  and  he  wept ;  remem- 
bering by  turns  his  absent  father  and  his  lost  friend.  Moved  with 
pity  of  Priam's  silver  locks  and  beard,  he  raised  him  from  the 
earth  and  spake :  "  Priam,  I  know  that  thou  hast  reached  this 
place  conducted  by  some  god,  for  without  aid  divine  no  mortal 
even  in  his  prime  of  youth  had  dared  the  attempt.  I  grant  thy  re- 
quest, for  I  am  moved  thereto  by  the  manifest  will  of  Jove."  So 
saying  he  arose,  went  forth  with  his  two  friends,  and  unloaded  of  its 
charge  the  litter,  leaving  two  mantles  and  a  robe  for  the  covering 
of  the  body.  This  they  placed  on  the  Utter,  and  spread  the 
garments  over  it,  that  not  unveiled  it  should  be  borne  back  to 
Troy.  Then  Achilles  dismissed  the  old  king,  having  first  pledged 
himself  to  a  truce  of  twelve  days  for  the  funeral  solemnities. 

As  the  litter  approached  the  city  and  was  descried  from  the 
walls,  the  people  poured  forth  to  gaze  once  more  on  the  face  of 
their  hero.  Foremost  of  all,  the  mother  and  the  wife  of  Hector 
came,  and  at  the  sight  of  the  lifeless  body  renewed  their  lamenta- 
tions. The  people  wept  with  them,  and  to  the  going  down  of  the 
sun  there  was  no  pause  or  abatement  of  their  grief. 

The  next  day,  preparations  were  made  for  the  funeral  solemni- 
ties. For  nine  days  the  people  brought  wood  and  built  the  pile ; 
and  on  the  tenth  they  placed  the  body  on  the  summit,  and  applied 
the  torch,  while  all  Troy  thronging  forth  encompassed  the  pyre. 
When  it  had  completely  burned,  they  quenched  the  cinders  with 
wine,  and,  collecting  the  bones,  placed  them  in  a  golden  urn,  which 
they  buried  in  the  earth.  Over  the  spot  they  reared  a  pile  of 
stones. 

"  Such  honors  Ilium  to  her  hero  paid, 
And  peaceful  slept  the  mighty  Hector's  shade."  ^ 

1  Pope's  translation  of  the  Iliad. 


THE  FALL    OF   TROY. 


303 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


THE    FALL    OF   TROY. 


§  169.  The  Fall  of  Troy. — The  story  of  the  IHad  ends  with 
the  death  of  Hector,  and  it  is  from  the  Odyssey  and  later  poems 
that  we  learn  the  fate  of  the  other  heroes.  After  the  death  of 
Hector,  Troy  did  not  immediately  fall,  but  receiving  aid  from 
new  allies  still  continued  its  resistance! 
One  of  these  allies  was  Memnon,  the  .^Ethi- 
opian  prince,  whose  story  has  been  already 
told.*  Another  was  Penthesilea,  (}ueen  of 
the  Amazons,  who  came  with  a  band  of 
female  warriors.  All  the  authori- 
ties attest  the  valor  of  these 
women  and  the  fearful  effect  of 
their  war  cry.  Penthesilea,  having 
slain  many  of  the  bravest  Greeks, 
was  at  last  slain  by  Achilles.  But 
when  the  hero  bent  over  his 
fallen  foe,  and  contemplated  her 
beauty,  youth,  and  valor,  he  bit- 
terly regretted  his  victory.  Ther- 
sites,  an  insolent  brawler  and  demagogue,  attempting  to  ridicule 
his  grief,  was  in  consequence  slain  by  the  hero.^ 

The  Death  of  Achilles.  —  But  Achilles,  himself,  was  not  destined 
to  a  long  life.  Having  by  chance  seen  Polyxena,  daughter  of 
King  Priam  —  perhaps  on  occasion  of  the  truce  which  was  al- 
lowed the  Trojans  for  the  burial  of  Hector  —  he  was  captivated 
with  her  charms ;  and  to  win  her  in  marriage,  it  is  said  (but  not 

*  $  115.  *  Pausanias  v.  11.  ^  2;  and  Sophocles,  Philoctefes,  445. 


304  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

by  Homer),  that  he  agreed  to  influence  the  Greeks  to  make  peace 
with  Troy.  While  the  hero  was  in  the  temple  of  Apollo,  nego- 
tiating the  marriage,  Paris  discharged  at  him  a  poisoned  arrow,' 
which,  guided  by  Apollo,  fatally  wounded  him  in  the  heel.  This 
was  his  only  vulnerable  spot ;  for  Thetis  having  dipped  him  when 
an  infant  in  the  river  Styx,  had  rendered  every  part  of  him  invul- 
nerable except  that  by  which  she  held  him.- 

Contest  for  the  Arms  of  Achilles. — The  body  of  Achilles  so 
treacherously  slain  was  rescued  by  Ajax  and  Ulysses.  Thetis 
directed  the  Greeks  to  bestow  her  son's  armor  on  that  hero  who 
of  all  the  survivors  should  be  judged  most  deserving  of  it.  Ajax 
and  Ulysses  were  th^  only  claimants.  A  select  number  of  the 
other  chiefs  were  appointed  to  award  the  prize.  It  was  awarded 
to  Ulysses.  Wisdom  thus  was  rated  above  valor ;  wherefore  Ajax 
slew  himself.^  On  the  spot  where  his  blood  sank  into  the  earth  a 
hyacinth  sprang  up,  bearing  on  its  leaves  the  first  two  letters  of 
his  name,  Ai,  the  Greek  interjection  of  woe.* 

It  was  now  discovered  that  Troy  could  not  be  taken  but  by  the 
aid  of  the  arrows  of  Hercules.  They  were  in  possession  of  Philoc- 
tetes,  the  friend  who  had  been  with  Hercules  at  the  last,  and  had 
lighted  his  funeral  pyre.  Philoctetes''  had  joined  the  Grecian  expe- 
dition against  Troy ;  but  having  accidentally  wounded  his  foot  with 
one  of  the  poisoned  arrows,  the  smell  from  the  wound  proved  so 
offensive  that  his  companions  carried  him  to  the  isle  of  Lemnos, 
and  left  him  there.  Diomede  and  Ulysses,  or  Ulysses  and  Neop- 
tolemus  (son  of  Achilles)  were  now  sent  to  induce  him  to  rejoin 
the  army.  They  succeeded.  Philoctetes  was  cured  of  his  wound 
by  Machaon,  and  Paris  was  the  first  victim  of  the  fatal  arrows. 

Paris  and  (Enone.  —  In  his  distress  Paris  bethought  him  of  one 
whom  in  his  prosperity  he  had  forgotten.  This  was  the  nymph 
CEnone,  whom  he  had  married  when  a  youth,  and  had  abandoned 

1  Vergil,  /Eneid  6 :  57.  8  Sophocles,  Ajax. 

2  Statius,  Achilleid  1 :  269.  *  See  Commentary. 

5  Servius  Honoratus,  Commentary  on  iEneid  (3 :  402).  According  to  Sophocles 
(Philoctetes),  the  wound  was  occasioned  by  the  bite  of  a  serpent  that  guarded  the 
shrine  of  the  nymph  Chryse,  on  an  islet  of  the  same  name,  near  Lemnos. 


THE  FALL    OF  TROY. 


305 


for  the  fatal  beauty  of  Helen.     (Enone,  remembering  the  wrongs 
she  had  suffered,  refused  to  heal  the  wound  ;  and  Paris  went  back 
to  Troy  and  died.     CEnone  quickly  repented,  and  hastened  after 
him  with  remedies,  but  came    too 
late,  and  in  her  grief  hanged  herself. 

The  Palladium.  —  There  was  in 
Troy  a  celebrated  statue  of  Mi- 
nerva called  the  Palladium.  It  was 
said  to  have  fallen  from  heaven, 
and  the  belief  was  that  the  city 
could  not  be  taken  so  long  as  this 
statue  remained  within  it.  Ulysses 
and  Diomede  entered  the  city  in 
disguise,  and  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing the  Palladium,  which  they  car- 
ried off  to  the  Grecian  camp. 

The  Wooden  Horse.  —  But  Troy 
still  held  out.  The  Greeks  began 
to  despair  of  subduing  it  by  force, 
and  by  advice  of  Ulysses  they 
resorted  to  stratagem.'  They  pre- 
tended to  be  making  preparations 

to  abandon  the  siege  ;  and  a  number  of  the  ships  were  with- 
drawn and  concealed  behind  a  neighboring  island.  They  then 
constructed  an  immense  wooden  horse,  which  they  gave  out 
was  intended  as  a  propitiatory  offering  to  Minerva ;  but  it  was, 
in  fact,  filled  with  armed  men.  The  rest  of  the  Greeks  then 
betook  themselves  to  their  ships  and  sailed  away,  as  if  for  a  final 
departure.  The  Trojans,  seeing  the  encampment  broken  up  and 
the  fleet  gone,  concluded  that  the  enemy  had  abandoned  the  siege. 
The  gates  of  the  city  were  thrown  open,  and  the  whole  population 
issued  forth,  rejoicing  at  the  long-prohibited  liberty  of  passing  freely 
over  the  scene  of  the  late  encampment.  The  great  horse  was  the 
chief  object  of  curiosity.    Some  recommended  that  it  be  taken  into 


1  Vergil,  ^neid,  Bk.  2. 


306  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


the  city  as  a  trophy ;  others  felt  afraid  of  it.  While  they  hesitated, 
Laocoon,  the  priest  of  Neptune,  exclaimed,  "  What  madness,  citi- 
zens, is  this  !  Have  you  not  learned  enough  of  Grecian  fraud  to 
be  on  your  guard  against  it  ?     For  my  part,  I  fear  the  Greeks  even 


THE  FALL    OF  TROY.  307 

when  they  offer  gifts."  '  So  saying,  he  threw  his  lance  at  the 
horse's  side.  It  struck,  and  a  hollow  sound  reverberated  like  a 
groan.  Then  perhaps  the  people  might  have  taken  his  advice  and 
destroyed  the  fatal  horse  with  its  contents,  but  just  at  that  moment 
a  group  of  people  appeared  dragging  forward  one  who  seemed 
a  prisoner  and  a  Greek.  Stupefied  with  terror,  the  captive  was 
brought  before  the  chiefs,  who  reassured  him,  promising  him  that 
his  life  should  be  spared  on  condition  of  his  answering  truly  the 
questions  asked  him.  He  informed  them  that  he  was  a  Greek, 
Sinon  by  name  ;  and  that  in  consequence  of  the  malice  of  Ulysses, 
he  had  been  left  behind  by  his  countrymen  at  their  departure. 
With  regard  to  the  wooden  horse,  he  told  them  that  it  was  a  pro- 
pitiatory offering  to  Minerva,  and  made  so  huge  for  the  express 
purpose  of  preventing  its  being  carried  within  the  city ;  for  Cal- 
chas  the  prophet  had  told  them  that  if  the  Trojans  took  possession 
of  it,  they  would  assuredly  triumph  over  the  Greeks. 

Laocobn  and  the  Serpents. — This  language  turned  the  tide  of 
the  people's  feelings ;  and  they  began  to  think  how  they  might 
best  secure  the  monstrous  horse  and  the  favorable  auguries  con- 
nected with  it,  when  suddenly  a  prodigy  occurred  which  left  no 
room  to  doubt.  There  appeared  advancing  over  the  sea  two  im- 
mense serpents.  They  came  upon  the  land,  and  the  crowd  fled 
in  all  directions.  The  serpents  advanced  directly  to  the  spot 
where  Laocoon  stood  with  his  two  sons.  They  first  attacked  the 
children,  winding  round  their  bodies  and  breathing  their  pestilen- 
tial breath  in  their  faces.  The  father,  attempting  to  rescue  them, 
is  next  seized  and  involved  in  the  serpent's  coils. 

.  .  .  Vain 
The  struggle;    vain,  against  the  coiling  strain 
And  gripe,  and  deepening  of  the  dragon's  grasp, 
The  ohl  man's  clinch ;    the  long  envenomed  chain 
Rivets  the  living  links, — the  enormous  asp 
Enforces  pang  on  pang,  and  stifles  gasp  on  gasp.'-' 

1  Timeo  Danaos  et  dona  ferentes.  —  /Hn.  2 :49. 
••«  Byron's  Childe  Harold. 


308  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

He  struggles  to  tear  them  away,  but  they  overpower  all  his 
efforts,  and  strangle  him  and  the  children  in  their  poisonous  folds. 
The  event  was  regarded  as  a  clear  indication  of  the  displeasure 
of  the  gods  at  Laocoon's  irreverent  treatment  of  the  wooden  horse, 
which  they  no  longer  hesitated  to  regard  as  a  sacred  object,  and 
prepared  to  introduce  with  due  solemnity  into  the  city.  They  did 
so  with  songs  and  triumphal  acclamations,  and  the  day  closed 
with  festivity.  In  the  night  the  armed  men  who  were  enclosed  in 
the  body  of  the  horse,  being  let  out  by  the  traitor  Sinon,  opened 
the  gates  of  the  city  to  their  friends  who  had  returned  under  cover 
of  the  night.  The  city  was  set  on  fire ;  the  people,  overcome 
with  feasting  and  sleep,  were  put  to  the  sword,  and  Troy  com- 
pletely subdued. 

The  Death  of  Priam.  —  Priam  lived  to  see  the  downfall  of 
his  kingdom,  and  was  slain  at  last  on  the  fatal  night  when  the 
Greeks  took  the  city.  He  had  armed  himself,  and  was  about  to 
mingle  with  the  combatants,'  but  was  prevailed  on  by  Hecuba  to 
take  refuge  with  herself  and  his  daughters  as  a  suppliant  at  the 
altar  of  Jupiter.  While  there,  his  youngest  son,  Polites,  pursued 
by  Pyrrhus,  the  son  of  Achilles,  rushed  in  wounded,  and  expired 
at  the  feet  of  his  father ;  whereupon  Priam,  overcome  with  indig- 
nation, hurled  his  spear  with  feeble  hand  against  Pyrrhus,  and  was 
forthwith  slain  by  him. 

§  170.  The  Survivors.- — Queen  Hecuba  and  her  daughter 
Cassandra  were  carried  captives  to  Greece.  Cassandra  had  been 
loved  by  Apollo,  who  gave  her  the  gift  of  prophecy ;  but  after- 
wards offended  with  her,  he  had  rendered  the  gift  unavaiHng  by 
ordaining  that  her  predictions  should  never  be  beheved.  Polyxena, 
another  daughter,  who  had  been  loved  by  Achilles,  was  demanded 
by  the  ghost  of  that  warrior,  and  was  sacrificed  by  the  Greeks 
upon  his  tomb. 

1  Hecuba's  exclamation,  "  Not  such  aid  nor  such  defenders  does  the  time 
require,"  has  become  proverbial. 

Non  tali  auxilio  nee  defensoribus  istis 

Tempus  eget.  —  .^//.  2  :  521. 
*  Euripides,  —  Troades,  Hecuba,  Andromache. 


THE  FALL    OF   TROY.  309 

Helen  and  Menelaiis.  — On  the  fall  of  Troy,  Menelaiis  recovered 
possession  of  his  wife,  who,  it  seems,  had  not  ceased  to  love  him, 
though  she  had  yielded  to  the  might  of  Venus  and  deserted  him 
for  another.^  After  the  death  of  Paris,  she  aided  the  Greeks 
secretly  on  several  occasions  :  in  particular  when  Ulysses  and  Dio- 
mede  entered  the  city  in  disguise  to  carry  off  the  Palladium.  She, 
then,  saw  and  recognized  Ulysses,  but  kept  the  secret,  and  even 
assisted  them  in  obtaining  the  image.  Thus  she  became  recon- 
ciled to  Menelaiis,  and  they  were  among  the  first  to  leave  the 
shores  of  Troy  for  their  native  land.  But  having  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  the  gods  they  were  driven  by  storms  from  shore  to 
shore  of  the  Mediterranean,  visiting  Cyprus,  Phoenicia,  and  Egypt. 
In  Egypt  they  were  kindly  treated  and  presented  with  rich  gifts, 
of  which  Helen's  share  was  a  golden  spindle,  and  a  basket  on 

wheels. 

"...  many  yet  adhere 
To  the  ancient  distaff  at  the  bosom  fixed. 
Casting  the  whirling  spindle  as  they  walk. 
.  .  .  This  was  of  old,  in  no  inglorious  days, 
The  mode  of  spinning,  when  the  Egyptian  prince 
A  golden  distaff  gave  that  beauteous  nymph, 
Too  beauteous  Helen;    no  uncourtly  gift."* 

Milton  also  alludes  to  a  famous  recipe  for  an  invigorating  draught, 
called  Nepenthe,  which  the  Egyptian  queen  gave  to  Helen  :  — 

"Not  that  Nepenthes  which  the  wife  of  Thone 
In  Eg)'pt  gave  to  Jove-born  Helena, 
Is  of  such  power  to  stir  up  joy  as  this, 
To  life  so  friendly  or  so  cool  to  thirst."' 

At  last,  arriving  in  safety  at  Sparta,  Menelaiis  and  Helen  re- 
sumed their  royal  dignity,  and  lived  and  reigned  in  splendor ;  and 
when  Telemachus,  the  son  of  Ulysses,  in  search  of  his  father, 
arrived  at  Sparta,  he  found  them  celebrating  the  marriage  of 
their  daughter  Hermione  to  Neoptolemus,  son  of  Achilles. 

1  According  to  Euripides  (Helen),  and  Stesichorus,  it  was  a  semblance  of 
Helen  that  Paris  won  ;  the  real  Helen  went  to  Egypt. 

2  Dyer,  The  Fleece.  *  Milton,  Comus. 


310  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Agamemnon^  was  not  so  fortunate  in  the  issue.  During  his 
absence  his  wife  Clytemnestra  had  been  false  to  him ;  and  when 
his  return  was  expected,  she  with  her  paramour,  ^gisthus,  son  of 
Thyestes,  laid  a  plan  for  his  destruction.  Cassandra  warned  the 
king,  but  as  usual  her  prophecy  was  not  regarded.  While  Aga- 
memnon was  bathing  previous  to  the  banquet  given  to  celebrate 
his  return,  the  conspirators  murdered  him. 

Electra  and  Orestes.  —  It  was  the  intention  of  the  conspirators  to 
slay  his  son  Orestes  also,  a  lad  not  yet  old  enough  to  be  an  object 
of  apprehension,  but  from  whom,  if  he  should  be  suffered  to  grow 
up,  there  might  be  danger.  Electra,  the  sister  of  Orestes,  saved 
her. brother's  life  by  sending  him  secretly  to  his  uncle  Strophius, 
king  of  Phocis.  In  the  palace  of  Strophius,  Orestes  grew  up  with 
the  king's  son  Pylades,  and  formed  with  him  a  friendship  which 
has  become  proverbial.  Electra  frequently  reminded  her  brother 
by  messengers  of  the  duty  of  avenging  his  father's  death ;  he, 
too,  when  he  reached  maturity,  consulted  the  oracle  of  Delphi, 
which  confirmed  him  in  the  design.  He  therefore  repaired  in 
disguise  to  Argos,  pretending  to  be  a  messenger  from  Strophius, 
who  would  announce  the  death  of  Orestes.  He  brought  with 
him  what  purported  to  be  the  ashes  of  the  deceased  in  a  funeral 
urn.  After  visiting  his  father's  tomb  and  sacrificing  upon  it, 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  ancients,  he  met  by  the  way  his 
sister  Electra.  Mistaking  her  for  one  of  the  domestics,  and  de- 
sirous of  keeping  his  arrival  a  secret  till  the  hour  of  vengeance 
should  arrive,  he  produced  the  urn.  At  once,  his  sister,  believ- 
ing Orestes  to  be  really  dead,  took  the  urn  from  him,  and  em- 
bracing it  poured  forth  her  grief  in  language  fiall  of  tenderness 
and  despair.  Soon  a  recognition  was  effected,  and  the  prince 
with  the  aid  of  his  sister  slew  both  ^gisthus  and  Clytemnestra.^ 

Orestes  pursued  by  the  Furies.^  —  This  revolting  act,  the  slaugh- 
ter of  a  mother  by  her  son,  though  extenuated  by  the  guilt  of  the 

1  iEschylus,  Agamemnon. 

2 /Eschylus.Choephori;  Sophocles,  Electra;   Euripides,  —  Electra,  Orestes. 

3  ^schylus,  Eumenides. 


THE  FALL    OF   TROY. 


311 


victim  and  thp  express  command  of  the  gods,  did  not  fail  to 
awaken  in  the  breasts  of  the  ancients  the  same  abhorrence  that 
it  does  in  ours.  The 
Eumenides  seized 
upon  Orestes,  and 
drove  him  frantic 
from  land  to  land. 
In  these  wander- 
ings Pylades  accom- 
panied him,  and 
watched  over  him. 
At  length  in  answer 
to  a  second  appeal 
to  the  oracle,  Orestes  was  directed  to  go  to  Tauris  in  Scythia,  and 
to  bring  thence  a  statue  of  Diana  which  was  believed  to  have 
fallen  from  heaven.  Accordingly  the  friends  went  to  Tauris. 
Since  there  the  barbarous  people  were  accustomed  to  sacri- 
fice  to   the   goddess   all    strangers  who    fell   into    their   hands, 


the  two  friends  were  seized  and  carried  bound  to  the  temple  to 
be  made  victims.     But  the  priestess  of  Diana  in  Tauris  was  no 


312  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Other  than  Iphigenia,  the  sister  of  Orestes,  who  had, been  snatched 
away  by  Diana,  at  the  moment  when  she  was  about  to  be  sacri- 
ficed. Ascertaining  from  the  prisoners  who  they  were,  Iphigenia 
disclosed  herself  to  them ;  and  the  three  made  their  escape  with 
the  statue  of  the  goddess,  and  returned  to  Mycense.^ 

His  Purification.  —  But  Orestes  was  not  yet  relieved  from  the 
vengeance  of  the  Erinyes.  Finally,  he  took  refuge  with  Miner\'a 
at  Athens.  The  goddess  afforded  him  protection,  and  appointed 
the  court  of  Areopagus  to  decide  his  fate.  The  Erinyes  brought 
their  accusation,  and  Orestes  pleaded  the  command  of  the  Del- 
phic oracle  as  his  excuse.  When  the  court  voted  and  the  voices 
were  equally  divided,  Orestes  was  acquitted  by  the  command  of 
Minerva.     He  was  then  purified  with  plentiful  blood  of  swine. 

1  Euripides,  Iphigenia  among  the  Tauri. 


/.  The  inner  or  real  Geography  is 
indicated  by  heavy  shading. 

II.  Voyage  of  Ulysses,  by  broken  line. 

III.  Identified  places,  by  shaded 
boundary  lines.  They  are  often  trans- 
posed. 


THE  ETHIOPIANS 

dweUinff/ar  away,  who  ar« 

divided  into  two  part*, 

the  moat  dutaiU  <^f  men 

Od.  1. 23  *. 

y.  B.  Where  the  arrow  are  doubled  on  the  tame  line  of  dote,  the 
meaning  ts,  that  the  paeeage  was  made  both  way*. 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  313 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

THE    WANDERINGS    OF    ULYSSES. 

§  171.  From  Troy  to  Phaeacia.  —  The  Odyssey  of  Homer  nar- 
rates the  wanderings  of  Ulysses  (Odysseus)  in  his  return  from 
Troy  to  his  own  kingdom,  Ithaca. 

From  Troy  the  vessels  first  made  land  at  Ismarus,  city  of  the 
Ciconians,  where,  in  a  skirmish  with  the  inhabitants,  Ulysses  lost 
six  men  from  each  ship. 

The  Lotos-eaters.  —  Sailing  thence  they  were  overtaken  by  a 
storm  which  drove  them  for  nine  days  till  they  reached  the  country 
of  the  Lotos-eaters.  Here,  after  watering,  Ulysses  sent  three  of 
his  men  to  discover  who  the  inhabitants  were.  These  men  on 
coming  among  the  Lotos-eaters  were  kindly  entertained  by  them, 
and  were  given  some  of  their  own  food,  the  lotus-plant,  to  eat. 
The  effect  of  this  food  was  such  that  those  who  partook  of  it  lost 
all  thought  of  home  and  wished  to  remain  in  that  country.  It 
was  by  main  force  that  Ulysses  dragged  these  men  away,  and  he 
was  even  obliged  to  tie  them  under  the  benches  of  his  ship. 

Tennyson  in  the  Lotos-eaters  has  charmingly  expressed  the 
dreamy,  langiiid  feeling  which  the  lotus-food  is  said  to  have  pro- 
duced. 

"...  How  sweet  it  were,  hearing  the  downward  stream 
With  half-shut  eyes  ever  to  seem 
Falling  asleep  in  a  half-dream  ! 
To  dream  and  dream,  like  yonder  amber  light 
Which  will  not  leave  the  myrrh-bush  on  the  height; 
To  hear  each  other's  whispered  speech; 
Eating  the  Lotos,  day  by  day, 
To  watch  the  crisping  ripples  on  the  beach. 
And  tender  curving  lines  of  creamy  spray; 


314  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

To  lend  our  hearts  and  spirits  wholly 

To  the  influence  of  mild-minded  melancholy; 

To  muse  land  brood  and  live  again  in  memory, 

With  those  old  faces  of  our  infancy 

Heaped  over  with  a  mound  of  grass, 

Two  handfuls  of  white  dust,  shut  in  an  urn  of  brass ! 

"  Dear  is  the  memory  of  our  wedded  lives, 
And  dear  the  last  embraces  of  our  wives 
And  their  warm  tears :  but  all  hath  suffered  change ; 
For  surely  now  our  household  hearths  are  cold  : 
Our  sons  inherit  us  :  our  looks  are  strange : 
And  we  should  come  like  ghosts  to  trouble  joy. 

"...  But,  propt  on  beds  of  amaranth  and  moly, 
How  sweet  (while  warm  airs  lull  us,  blowing  lowly) 
With  half-dropt  eyelids  still, 
Beneath  a  heaven  dark  and  holy, 
To  watch  the  long  bright  river  drawing  slowly 
His  waters  from  the  purple  hill  — 
To  hear  the  dewy  echoes  calling 
From  cave  to  cave  thro'  the  thick-twined  vine  — 
To  watch  the  emerald-color'd  water  falling 
Thro'  many  a  wov'n  acanthus-wreath  divine  I 
Only  to  hear  and  see  the  far-off  sparkling  brine, 
Only  to  hear  were  sweet,  stretch'd  out  beneath  the  pine. 

"  The  Lotos  blooms  below  the  barren  peak  : 
The  Lotos  blows  by  every  winding  creek  : 
All  day  the  wind  breathes  low  with  mellower  tone : 
Thro'  every  hollow  cave  and  alley  lone 

Round  and  round  the  spicy  downs  the  yellow  Lotos-dust  is  blown. 
We  have  had  enough  of  action,  and  of  motion  we, 

RoU'd  to  starboard,  roll'd  to  larboard,  when  the  surge  was  seething  free, 
Where  the  wallowing  monster  spouted  his  foam-fountains  in  the  sea. 
Let  us  swear  an  oath,  and  keep  it  with  an  equal  mind, 
In  the  hollow  Lotos-land  to  live  and  lie  reclined 
On  the  hills  like  Gods  together,  careless  of  mankind.  .  .  ." 

The  Cyclopes.  —  They  next  arrived  at  the  country  of  the 
Cyclopes.  The  Cyclopes  (§  1 26)  inhabited  an  island  of  which  they 
were  the  only  possessors.     They  dwelt  in  caves  and  fed  on  the 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  315 

wild  productions  of  the  island,  and  on  what  their  flocks  yielded,  for 
they  were  shepherds.  Ulysses  left  the  main  body  of  his  ships  at 
anchor,  and  with  one  vessel  went  to  the  Cyclopes'  island  to  explore 
for  supplies.  He  landed  with  his  companions,  carrying  with  them 
a  jar  of  wine  for  a  present.  Coming  to  a  large  cave  they  entered 
it,  and  finding  no  one  within  examined  its  contents.  They  found 
it  stored  with  the  riches  of  the  flock,  quantities  of  cheese,  pails  and 
bowls  of  milk,  lambs  and  kids  in  their  pens,  all  in  good  order. 
Presently  arrived  the  master  of  the  cave,  Polyphemus,  bearing  an 
immense  bundle  of  fire-wood,  which  he  threw  down  before  the 
cavern's  mouth.  He  then  drove  into  the  cave  the  sheep  and  goats 
to  be  milked,  and,  entering,  rolled  to  the  cave's  mouth  an  enor- 
mous rock,  that  twenty  oxen  could  not  draw.  Next  he  sat  down 
and  milked  his  ewes,  preparing  a  part  for  cheese,  and  setting  the 
rest  aside  for  his  customary  drink.  Then  turning  round  his  one 
huge  eye  he  discerned  the  strangers,  and  growled  out  at  them, 
demanding  who  they  were  and  where  from.  Ulysses  replied  most 
humbly,  stating  that  they  were  Greeks,  from  the  great  expedition 
that  had  lately  won  so  much  glory  in  the  conquest  of  Troy ;  that 
they  were  now  on  their  way  home,  and  finished  by  imploring  his 
hospitality  in  the  name  of  the  gods.  Polyphemus  deigned  no 
answer,  but  reaching  out  his  hand  seized  two  of  the  men,  whom 
he  hurled  against  the  side  of  the  cave,  and  dashed  out  their  brains. 
He  proceeded  to  devour  them  with  great  relish,  and  having  made 
a  hearty  meal,  stretched  himself  on  the  floor  to  sleep.  Ulysses 
was  tempted  to  seize  the  opportunity  and  plunge  his  sword  into 
him  as  he  slept,  but  recollected  that  it  would  only  expose  them  all 
to  certain  destruction,  as  the  rock  with  which  the  giant  had  closed 
up  the  door  was  far  beyond  their  power  to  remove,  and  they  would 
therefore  be  in  hopeless  imprisonment.  Next  morning  the  giant 
seized  two  more  of  the  men  and  despatched  them  in  the  same 
manner  as  their  companions,  feasting  on  their  flesh  till  no  fragment 
was  left.  He  then  moved  away  the  rock  from  the  door,  drove  out 
his  flocks,  and  went  out,  carefully  replacing  the  barrier  after  him. 
When  he  was  gone  Ulysses  planned  how  he  might  take  vengeance 


316  CLASSIC  MYTHS  I.V  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

for  his  murdered  friends,  and  effect  his  escape  with  his  surviving 
companions.  He  made  his  men  prepare  a  massive  bar  of  wood 
cut  by  the  Cyclops  for  a  staff,  which  they  found  in  the  cave.  They 
sharpened  the  end  of  it  and  seasoned  it  in  the  fire,  and  hid  it 
under  the  straw  on  the  cavern  floor.  Then  four  of  the  boldest 
were  selected,  with  whom  Ulysses  joined  himself  as  a  fifth.  The 
Cyclops  came  home  at  evening,  rolled  away  the  stone  and  drove  in 
his  flock  as  usual.  After  milking  them  and  making  his  arrange- 
ments as  before,  he  seized  two  more  of  Ulysses'  companions,  dashed 
their  brains  out,  and  made  his  evening  meal  upon  them  as  he  had 
on  the  others.  After  he  had  supped,  Ulysses  approaching  him 
handed  him  a  bowl  of  wine,  saying,  "  Cyclops,  this  is  wine  ;  taste 
and  drink  after  thy  meal  of  man's  flesh."  He  took  and  drank  it, 
and  was  hugely  delighted  with  it,  and  called  for  more.  Ulysses 
supplied  him  once  and  again,  which  pleased  the  giant  so  much 
that  he  promised  him  as  a  favor  that  he  should  be  the  last  of  the 
party  devoured.  He  asked  his  name,  to  which  Ulysses  replied, 
"  My  name  is  Noman." 

After  his  supper  the  giant  sought  his  repose,  and  was  soon 
sound  asleep.  Then  Ulysses  with  his  four  select  friends  held  the 
end  of  the  stake  in  the  fire  till  it  was  one  burning  coal,  then 
poising  it  exactly  above  the  giant's  only  eye,  they  plunged  it  deep 
into  the  socket,  twirling  it  round  as  a  carpenter  does  his  auger. 
The  howling  monster  with  his  outcry  filled  the  cavern,  and  Ulysses 
with  his  aids  nimbly  got  out  of  his  way  and  concealed  themselves 
in  the  cave.  He,  bellowing,  called  aloud  on  all  the  Cyclopes  dwell- 
ing in  the  caves  around  him,  far  and  near.  They,  on  his  cry, 
flocked  round  the  den,  and  inquired  what  grievous  hurt  had  caused 
him  to  sound  such  an  alarm  and  break  their  slumbers.  He  replied, 
"O  friends,  I  die,  and  Noman  gives  the  blow."  They  answered, 
"  If  no  man  hurts  thee  it  is  the  stroke  of  Jove,  and  thou  must  bear 
it."     So  saying,  they  left  him  groaning. 

Next  morning  the  Cyclops  rolled  away  the  stone  to  let  his  flock 
out  to  pasture,  but  planted  himself  in  the  door  of  the  cave  to  feel 
of  all  as  they  went  out,  that  Ulysses  and  his  men  should  not  escape 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  317 

with  them.  But  Ulysses  had  made  his  men  harness  the  rams  of 
the  flof  k  three  abreast,  with  osiers  which  they  fountl  on  the  floor  of 
the  cave.  To  the  middle  ram  of  the  three  one  of  the  Greeks  sus- 
pended himself,  so  protected  by  the  exterior  rams  on  either  side. 
As  they  passed,  the  giant  felt  of  the  animals'  backs  and  sides,  but 
never  thought  of  their  bellies ;  so  the  men  all  passed  safe,  Ulysses 
himself  being  on  the  last  one  that  passed.  When  they  had  got  a 
{^\v  paces  from  the  cavern,  Ulysses  and  his  friends  released  them- 
selves from  their  rams,  and  drove  a  good  part  of  the  flock  down 
to  the  shore  to  their  boat.  They  put  them  aboard  with  all  haste, 
then  pushed  off"  from  the  shore,  and  when  at  a  safe  distance 
Ulysses  shouted  out,  "  Cyclops,  the  gods  have  well  requited  thee 
for  thy  atrocious  deeds.  Know  it  is  Ulysses  to  whom  thou  owest 
thy  shameful  loss  of  sight."  The  Cyclops,  hearing  this,  seized  a 
rock  that  projected  from  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  rending  it 
from  its  bed  he  Ufted  it  high  in  the  air,  then  exerting  all  his  force, 
hurled  it  in  the  direction  of  the  voice.  Down  came  the  mass,  just 
forward  of  the  vessel.  The  ocean,  at  the  plunge  of  the  huge 
rock,  heaved  the  ship  toward  Polyphemus ;  but  a  second  rock 
which  he  hurled,  striking  aft,  propelled  them  fortunately  in  the 
direction  that  they  desired  to  take.  Ulysses  was  about  to  hail  the 
giant  again,  but  his  friends  besought  him  not  to  do  so.  He  could 
not  forbear,  however,  letting  the  giant  know  that  they  had  escaped 
his  missile,  but  waited  till  they  had  reached  a  safer  distance  than 
before.  The  giant  answered  them  with  curses,  while  Ulysses  and 
his  friends  i)lying  their  oars  vigorously,  regained  their  companions. 
The  Bag  of  Winds.  —  Ulysses  next  arrived  at  the  island  of 
^olus.  He  treated  Ulysses  hospitably,  and  at  his  departure  gave 
him,  tied  up  in  a  leathern  bag  with  a  silver  string,  such  winds  as 
might  be  hurtful  and  dangerous,  commanding  fair  winds  to  blow 
the  barks  toward  their  country.  Nine  days  they  sped  before  the 
wind,  and  all  that  time  Ulysses  had  stood  at  the  helm,  without 
sleep.  At  last  quite  exhausted  he  lay  down  to  sleep.  While  he 
slept,  the  crew  conferred  together  about  the  mysterious  bag,  and 
concluded  it  must  contain  treasures  given  by  the  hospitable  King 


318  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IX  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

^olus  to  their  commander.  Tempted  to  secure  some  portion  for 
themselves  they  loosed  the  string,  when  immediately  the  winds 
rushed  forth.  The  ships  were  driven  far  from  their  course,  and 
back  again  to  the  island  they  had  just  left.  tEoIus,  indignant  at 
their  folly,  refused  to  assist  them  further,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
labor  over  their  course  once  more  by  means  of  their  oars. 

The  Laestrygonians.  —  Their  next  adventure  was  with  the  bar- 
barous tribe  of  Laestrygonians.  The  vessels  all  pushed  into  the 
harbor,  tempted  by  the  secure  appearance  of  the  cove,  completely 
land-locked  ;  only  Ulysses  moored  his  vessel  without.  As  soon  as 
the  Laestrygonians  found  the  ships  completely  in  their  power  they 
attacked  them,  heaving  huge  stones  which  broke  and  overturned 
them,  while  with  their  spears  they  despatched  the  seamen  as  they 
struggled  in  the  water.  All  the  vessels  with  their  crews  were  de- 
stroyed, except  Ulysses'  own  ship  which  had  remained  outside,  and 
finding  no  safety  but  in  flight,  he  exhorted  his  men  to  ply  their 
oars  vigorously,  and  they  escaped. 

The  Isle  of  ^aea.  —  With  grief  for  their  slain  companions  mixed 
with  joy  at  their  own  escape,  they  pursued  their  way  till  they 
arrived  at  the  ^sean  isle,  where  Circe  dwelt,  the  daughter  of  the 
sun.  Landing  here  Ulysses  climbed  a  hill,  and  gazing  round  saw 
no  signs  of  habitation  except  in  one  spot  at  the  centre  of  the 
island,  where  he  perceived  a  palace  embowered  with  trees.  He 
sent  forward  one  half  of  his  crew,  under  the  command  of  Eurylo- 
chus,  to  see  what  prospect  of  hospitality  they  might  find.  As  they 
approached  the  palace,  they  found  themselves  surrounded  by  lions, 
tigers  and  wolves,  not  fierce,  but  tamed  by  Circe's  art,  for  she  was 
a  powerful  magician.  These  animals  had  once  been  men,  but  had 
been  changed  by  Circe's  enchantments  into  the  forms  of  beasts. 
The  sounds  of  soft  music  were  heard  from  within,  and  a  sweet 
female  voice  singing.  Eurylochus  called  aloud  and  the  goddess 
came  forth  and  invited  them  in ;  they  all  gladly  entered  except 
Eurylochus,  who  suspected  danger.  The  goddess  conducted  her 
guests  to  a  seat,  and  had  them  served  with  wine  and  other  deli- 
cacies.    When  they  had  feasted  heartily,  she  touched  them  one 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  319 

by  one  with  her  wand,  and  they  became  immediately  changed 
into  swine,  in  "  head,  body,  voice,  and  bristles,"  yet  with  their 
intellects  as  before.  She  shut  them  in  her  styes  and  supplied  them 
with  acorns  and  such  other  things  as  swine  love. 

Eurylochus  hurried  back  to  the  ship  and  told  the  tale.  Ulysses 
thereupon  determined  to  go  himself,  and  try  if  by  any  means  he 
might  deliver  his  companions.  As  he  strode  onward  alone,  he  met 
a  youth  who  addressed  him  familiarly,  appearing  to  be  acquainted 
with  his  adventures.  He  announced  himself  as  Mercury,  and  in- 
formed Ulysses  of  the  arts  of  Circe,  and  of  the  danger  of  approach- 
ing her.  As  Ulysses  was  not  to  be  dissuaded  from  his  attempt, 
Mercury  provided  him  with  a  sprig  of  the  plant  Moly,  of  wonder- 
ful power  to  resist  sorceries,  and  instructed  him  how  to  act. 

Meanwhile  the  companions  of  Ulysses  made  mournful  plaint 
to  their  cruel  mistress  :  — 

Huddling  they  came,  with  shag  sides  caked  of  mire, — 
With  hoofs  fresh  sullied  from  the  troughs  o'er-turned,  — 
With  wrinkling  snouts,  —  yet  eyes  in  which  desire 
Of  some  strange  thing  unutterably  burned, 
Unquenchable ;  and  still  where'er  She  turned 
They  rose  about  her,  striving  each  o'er  each, 
With  restless,  fierce  importuning  that  yearned 
Through  those  brute  masks  some  piteous  tale  to  teach. 
Yet  lacked  the  words  thereto,  denied  the  power  of  speech.  .  .  . 

..."  If  swine  we  be,  —  if  we  indeed  be  swine. 
Daughter  of  Perse,  make  us  swine  indeed. 
Well-pleased  on  litter-straw  to  lie  supine,  — 
Well-pleased  on  mast  and  acorn-shales  to  feed, 
Stirred  by  all  instincts  of  the  bestial  breed; 
But  O  Unmerciful !     O  Pitiless ! 
Leave  us  not  thus  with  sick  men's  hearts  to  bleed !  — 
To  waste  long  days  in  yearning,  dumb  distress. 
And  memory  of  things  gone,  and  utter  hopelessness ! 

.  .  .  "  Make  us  men  again,  —  if  men  but  groping 
That  dark  Hereafter  which  th'  Olympians  keep; 
Make  thou  us  men  again,  —  if  men  but  hoping 
Behind  death's  doors  security  of  sleep;  — 


320  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

For  yet  to  laugh  is  somewhat,  and  to  sleep;  — 
To  feel  delight  of  living,  and  to  plough 
The  salt-blown  acres  of  the  shoreless  deep ;  — 
Better,  —  yea  better  far  all  these  than  bow 
Foul  faces  to  foul  earth,  and  yearn  —  as  we  do  now  !  " 

So  they  in  speech  unsyllabled.     But  She, 
The  fair-tressed  Goddess,  born  to  be  their  bane, 
Uplifting  straight  her  wand  of  ivory. 
Compelled  them  groaning  to  the  styes  again; 
Where  they  in  hopeless  bitterness  were  fain 
To  rend  the  oaken  woodwork  as  before. 
And  tear  the  troughs  in  impotence  of  pain,  — 
Not  knowing,  they,  that  even  at  the  door 
Divine  Odysseus  stood, —  as  Hermes  told  of  yore.^ 

Ulysses,  reaching  the  palace,  was  courteously  received  by  Circe, 
who  entertained  him  as  she  had  done  his  companions ;  but,  after 
he  had  eaten  and  drunk,  touched  him  with  her  wand,  saying, 
"Hence,  seek  the  stye  and  wallow  with  thy  friends."  But  he, 
instead  of  obeying,  drew  his  sword  and  rushed  upon  her  with 
fury  in  his  countenance.  She  fell  on  her  knees  and  begged  for 
mercy.  He  dictated  a  solemn  oath  that  she  would  release 
his  companions  and  practise  no  further  harm  against  him  or 
them ;  and  she  repeated  it,  at  the  same  time  promising  to 
dismiss  them  all  in  safety  after  hospitably  entertaining  them.  She 
was  as  good  as  her  word.  The  men  were  restored  to  their  shapes, 
the  rest  of  the  crew  summoned  from  the  shore,  and  the  whole 
magnificently  entertained  day  after  day,  till  Ulysses  seemed  to 
have  forgotten  his  native  land,  and  to  have  reconciled  himself  to 
an  inglorious  life  of  ease  and  pleasure. 

The  Sirens.  — At  length  his  companions  recalled  him  to  nobler 
sentiments,  and  he  received  their  admonition  gratefully.  Circe 
aided  their  departure,  and  instructed  them  how  to  pass  safely  by 
the  coast  of  the  Sirens.  These  nymphs  had  the  power,  as  has 
been  already  said,  of  charming  by  their  song  all  who  heard  them, 

*  From  Austin  Dobson's  Prayer  of  the  Swine  to  Circe. 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF   ULYSSES. 


321 


so  that  mariners  were  impelled  to  cast  themselves  into  the  sea 
to  their  destruction.  Circe  directed  Ulysses  to  fill  the  ears  of 
his  seamen  with  wax,  so  that  they  should  not  hear  the  strain  ;  to 
have  himself  bound  to  the  mast,  and  to 
enjoin  his  people,  whatever  he  might  say 
or  do,  by  no  means  to  release  him  till 
they  should  have  passed  the  Sirens'  is- 
land. Ulysses  obeyed  these  directions. 
As  they  approached  the  Sirens'  island, 
the  sea  was  calm,  and  over  the  waters 
came  the  notes  of  music  so  ravishing  and 
attractive,  that  Ulysses  struggled  to  get 
loose,  and  by  cries  and  signs  to  his  people, 
begged  to  be  released  ;  but  they,  obedient 
to  his  previous  orders,  sprang  forward  and  bound  him  siill  faster. 
They  held  on  their  course,  and  the  music  grew  fainter  till  it 
ceased  to  be  heard,  when  with  joy  Ulysses  gave  his  companions 
the  signal  to  unseal  their  ears,  and  they  relieved  him  from 
his  bonds.  It  is  said  that  one  of  the  Sirens,  Parthenope,  in  grief 
at  the  escape  of  Ulysses,  drowned  herself.  Her  body  was  cast 
up  on  the  Italian  shore  where  now  stands  the  city  of  Naples  —  in 
early  times  called  by  the  Siren's  name. 

Scylla  and  Charybdis.  —  Ulysses  had  been  warned  by  Circe  of 
the  two  monsters  Scylla  and  Charybdis.  We  have  already  met 
with  Scylla  in  the  myth  of  Glaucus.  She  dwelt  in  a  cave  high  up 
on  the  cliff,  from  whence  she  was  accustomed  to  thrust  forth  her 
long  necks  (for  she  had  six  heads),  and  in  each  of  her  mouths  to 
seize  one  of  the  crew  of  every  vessel  passing  within  reach.  The 
other  terror,  Charybdis,  was  a  gulf,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the 
water.  Thrice  each  day  the  water  rushed  into  a  frightful  chasm, 
and  thrice  was  disgorged.  Any  vessel  coming  near  the  whirlpool 
when  the  tide  was  rushing  in  must  inevitably  be  ingulfed ;  not 
Neptune  himself  could  save  it.  On  approaching  the  haunt  of  the 
dread  monsters,  Ulysses  kept  strict  watch  to  discover  them.  The 
roar  of  the  waters  as  Charybdis  ingulfed  them,  gave  warning  at 


322  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

a  distance,  but  Scylla  could  nowhere  be  discerned.  While  Ulysses 
and  his  men  watched  with  anxious  eyes  the  dreadful  whirlpool, 
they  were  not  equally  on  their  guard  from  the  attack  of  Scylla/ 
and  the  monster  darting  forth  her  snaky  heads,  caught  six  of  his 
men,  and  bore  them  away  shrieking  to  her  den.  Ulysses  was 
unable  to  afford  any  assistance. 

The  Cattle  of  the  Sun.  —  Circe  had  warned  him  of  another 
danger.  After  passing  Scylla  and  Charybdis  the  next  land  he 
would  make  was  Thrinacia,  an  island  whereon  were  pastured  the 
cattle  of  Hyperion,  the  Sun,  tended  by  his  daughters  Lampetia 
and  Phaethusa.  These  flocks  must  not  be  violated,  whatever  the 
wants  of  the  voyagers  might  be.  If  this  injunction  were  trans- 
gressed, destruction  was  sure  to  fall  on  the  offenders.  Ulysses 
would  willingly  have  passed  the  island  of  the  Sun  without  stopping, 
but  his  companions  so  urgently  pleaded  for  the  rest  and  refresh- 
ment that  would  be  derived  from  anchoring  and  passing  the  night 
on  shore,  that  Ulysses  yielded.  He  made  them  swear,  however, 
not  to  touch  the  sacred  flocks  and  herds,  but  to  content  them- 
selves with  what  provision  they  yet  had  left  of  the  supply  which 
Circe  had  put  on  board.  So  long  as  this  supply  lasted  the  people 
kept  their  oath ;  but  contrary  winds  detained  them  at  the  island 
for  a  month,  and  after  consuming  all  their  stock  of  provisions, 
they  were  forced  to  rely  upon  the  birds  and  fishes  they  could 
catch.  Famine  pressed  them,  and,  at  last,  in  the  absence  of 
Ulysses,  they  slew  some  of  the  cattle,  vainly  attempting  to  make 
amends  for  the  deed  by  offering  from  them  a  portion  to  the 
offended  powers.  Ulysses,  on  his  return  to  the  shore,  was  horror- 
struck  at  perceiving  what  they  had  done,  and  the  more  so  on 
account  of  the  portentous  signs  which  followed.  The  skins  crept 
on  the  ground,  and  the  joints  of  meat  lowed  on  the  spits  while 
roasting. 

The  \vind  becoming  fair  they  sailed  from  the  island.  They  had 
not  gone  far  when  the  weather  changed,  and  a  storm  of  thunder 
and  lightning  ensued.     A  stroke  of  hghtning  shattered  their  mast, 

1  Incidit  in  Scyllam,  cupiens  vilare  Charybdim. 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  323 

which  in  its  fall  killed  the  pilot.  At  last  the  vessel  itself  went  to 
pieces.  The  keel  and  mast  floating  side  by  side,  Ulysses  formed 
of  them  a  raft,  to  which  he  clung ;  and,  the  wind  changing,  the 
waves  bore  him  to  Calypso's  island.  All  the  rest  of  the  crew 
perished. 

Calypso's  Island. — Calypso,  a  sea-nymph,  received  Ulysses 
hospitably,  entertained  him  magnificently,  became  enamored  of 
him,  and  wished  to  retain  him  forever,  offering  him  immortality. 
But  he  persisted  in  his  resolution  to  return  to  his  country  and  his 
wife  and  son.  Calypso  at  last  received  the  command  of  Jove  to 
dismiss  him.  Mercury  brought  the  message  to  her,  and  found  her 
in  her  grotto. 

A  garden  vine,  luxuriant  on  all  sides, 
Mantled  the  spacious  cavern,  cluster-hung 
Profuse;   four  fountains  of  serenest  lymph, 
Their  sinuous  course  pursuing  side  by  side, 
Strayed  all  around,  and  everywhere  appeared 
Meadows  of  softest  verdure,  purpled  o'er 
With  violets;    it  was  a  scene  to  fill 
A  god  from  heaven  with  wonder  and  delight.^ 

Calypso,  with  much  reluctance,  proceeded  to  obey  the  com- 
mands of  Jupiter.  She  supplied  Ulysses  with  the  means  of  con- 
structing a  raft,  provisioned  it  well  for  him,  and  gave  him  a  favor- 
ing gale.  He  sped  on  his  course  prosperously  for  many  days, 
till  at  last,  when  in  sight  of  land,  a  storm  arose  that  broke  his 
mast,  and  threatened  to  rend  the  raft  asunder.  In  this  crisis  he 
was  seen  by  a  compassionate  sea-nymph,  Leucothea,  who,  in  the 
form  of  a  cormorant,  alighted  on  the  raft,  and  presented  him  with 
a  girdle,  directing  him  to  bind  it  beneath  his  breast,  that  if  he 
should  be  compelled  to  trust  himself  to  the  waves,  it  might  buoy 
him  up  and  enable  him  to  reach  the  land. 

§  172.  The  Land  of  the  Phsacians.  —  Ulysses  clung  to  the  raft 
so  long  as  its  timbers  held  together,  and  when  it  no  longer  yielded 
hira  support,  binding  the  girdle  around  him,  he  swam.     Minerva 

1  Homer's  Odyssey,  5 :  64.    Cowper's  Translation. 


324  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

smoothed  the  billows  before  him  and  sent  him  a  wind  that  rolled 
the  waves  towards  the  shore.  The  surf  beat  high  on  the  rocks 
and  seemed  to  forbid  approach ;  but  at  length  finding  calm  water 
at  the  mouth  of  a  gentle  stream,  he  landed,  spent  with  toil, 
breathless  and  speechless,  and  almost  dead.  After  some  time 
reviving,  he  kissed  the  soil,  rejoicing,  yet  at  a  loss  what  course  to 
take.  At  a  short  distance  he  perceived  a  wood,  to  which  he 
turned  his  steps.  There  finding  a  covert  sheltered  by  intermin- 
gling branches  alike  from  the  sun  and  the  rain,  he  collected  a  pile 
of  leaves  and  formed  a  bed,  on  which  he  stretched  himself,  and 
heaping  the  leaves  over  him,  fell  asleep. 

The  land  where  he  was  thrown  was  Scheria,  the  country  of  the 
Phaeacians.  These  people  dwelt  originally  near  the  Cyclopes ; 
but,  being  oppressed  by  that  savage  race,  they  migrated  to  the 
isle  of  Scheria,  under  the  conduct  of  Nausithoiis,  their  king.  They 
were,  the  poet  tells  us,  a  people  akin  to  the  gods,  who  appeared 
manifestly  and  feasted  among  them  when  they  offered  sacrifices, 
and  did  not  conceal  themselves  from  solitary  wayfarers  when  they 
met  them.  They  had  abundance  of  wealth,  and  lived  in  the 
enjoyment  of  it  undisturbed  by  the  alarms  of  war:  for,  as  they 
dwelt  remote  from  gain-seeking  man,  no  enemy  ever  approached 
their  shores,  and  they  did  not  even  require  to  make  use  of  bows 
and  quivers.  Their  chief  employment  was  navigation.  Their 
ships,  which  went  with  the  velocity  of  birds,  were  endued  with 
intelligence  ;  they  knew  every  port  and  needed  no  pilot.  Alci- 
noiis,  the  son  of  Nausithoiis,  was  now  their  king,  a  wise  and  just 
sovereign,  beloved  by  his  people. 

Now  it  happened  that  the  very  night  on  which  Ulysses  was  cast 
ashore  on  the  Phaeacian  island,  and  while  he  lay  sleeping  on  his 
bed  of  leaves,  Nausicaa,  the  daughter  of  the  king,  had  a  dream 
sent  by  Minerva,  reminding  her  that  her  wedding  day  might  not  be 
far  distant,  and  that  it  would  be  but  a  prudent  preparation  for  that 
event  to  have  a  general  washing  of  the  clothes  of  the  family. 
This  was  no  slight  affair,  for  the  fountains  were  at  some  distance, 
and  the  garments  must  be  carried  thither.     On  awaking,  the  prin- 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  325 

cess  hastened  to  her  parents  to  tell  them  what  was  on  her  mind ; 
not  alluding  to  her  wedding  day,  but  finding  other  reasons  equally 
good.  Her  father  readily  assented,  and  ordered  the  grooms  to 
furnish  forth  a  wagon  for  the  purpose.  The  clothes  were  put 
therein ;  and  the  queen  mother  placed  in  the  wagon  likewise  an 
abundant  supply  of  food  and  wine.  The  princess  took  her  seat 
and  plied  the  lash,  her  attendant  virgins  following  her  on  foot. 
Arrived  at  the  river  side  they  turned  out  the  mules  to  graze,  and 
unlading  the  carriage,  bore  the  garments  down  to  the  water,  and, 
working  with  cheerfulness  and  alacrity,  soon  despatched  their  labor. 
Then  having  spread  the  garments  on  the  shore  to  dry,  and  having 
themselves  bathed,  they  sat  down  to  enjoy  their  meal ;  after  which 
they  rose  and  amused  themselves  with  a  game  of  ball,  the  prin- 
cess singing  to  them  while  they  played.  But  when  they  had 
refolded  the  apparel,  and  were  about  to  resume  their  way  to  the 
town,  Minerva  caused  the  ball  thrown  by  the  princess  to  fall  into 
the  water,  whereat  they  all  screamed  and  Ulysses  awaked  at  the 
sound. 

Utterly  destitute  of  clothing,  he  discovered  that  only  a  few  bushes 
were  interposed  between  him  and  a  group  of  young  maidens, 
whom,  by  their  deportment  and  attire,  he  discovered  to  be  not 
mere  peasant  girls,  but  of  a  higher  class.  Breaking  off  a  leafy 
branch  from  a  tree  he  held  it  before  him  and  stepped  out  from 
the  thicket.  The  virgins  at  sight  of  him  fled  in  all  directions, 
Nausicaii  alone  excepted,  for  her  Minerva  aided  and  endowed 
with  courage  and  discernment.  Ulysses,  standing  respectfully 
aloof,  told  his  sad  case,  and  besought  the  fair  object  (whether 
queen  or  goddess  he  professed  he  knew  not)  for  food  and  cloth- 
ing. The  princess  replied  courteously,  promising  present  relief 
and  her  father's  hospitality  when  he  should  become  acquainted 
with  the  facts.  She  called  back  her  scattered  maidens,  chiding 
their  alarm,  and  reminding  them  that  the  Phaeacians  had  no 
enemies  to  fear.  This  man,  she  told  them,  was  an  unhappy  wan- 
derer, whom  it  was  a  duty  to  cherish,  for  the  poor  and  the  stran- 
ger are   from   Jove.     She  bade   them  bring  food,  and  the  gar- 


326  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

ments  of  some  of  her  brothers'  that  were  among  the  contents  of 
the  wagon.  When  this  was  done,  and  Ulysses  retiring  to  a  shel- 
tered place  had  washed  his  body  free  from  the  sea-foam,  and 
clothed  himself  and  eaten,  Pallas  dilated  his  form  and  diffused 
grace  over  his  ample  chest  and  manly  brows. 

The  princess  seeing  him  was  filled  with  admiration,  and  scrupled 
not  to  say  to  her  damsels  that  she  wished  the  gods  would  send 
her  such  a  husband.  To  Ulysses  she  recommended  that  he 
repair  to  the  city,  following  herself  and  her  train  so  far  as 
the  way  lay  through  the  fields ;  but  when  they  should  approach 
the  city  she  desired  that  he  no  longer  be  seen  in  her  com- 
pany, for  she  feared  the  remarks  which  rude  and  vulgar  people 
might  make  on  seeing  her  return  accompanied  by  such  a  gallant 
stranger.  To  avoid  this  she  directed  him  to  stop  at  a  grove 
adjoining  the  city,  in  which  were  a  farm  and  garden  belonging  to 
the  king.  After  allowing  time  for  the  princess  and  her  com- 
panions to  reach  the  city,  he  was  then  to  pursue  his  way  thither, 
and  should  be  easily  guided  by  any  he  might  meet  to  the  royal 
abode. 

Ulysses  obeyed  the  directions,  and  in  due  time  proceeded  to  the 
city,  on  approaching  which  he  met  a  young  woman  bearing  a 
pitcher  forth  for  water.  It  was  Minerva  who 
had  assumed  that  form.  Ulysses  accosted  her 
and  desired  to  be  directed  to  the  palace  of 
Alcinoiis,  the  king.  The  maiden  replied  re- 
spectfully, offering  to  be  his  guide  ;  for  the  pal- 
ace she  informed  him  stood  near  her  father's 
dwelling.  Under  the  guidance  of  the  goddess, 
and,  by  her  power,  enveloped  in  a  cloud  which 
shielded  him  from  observation,  Ulysses  passed 
among  the  busy  crowd,  and  with  wonder  ob- 
served their  harbor,  their  ships,  their  forum  (the 
resort  of  heroes),  and  their  battlements,  till  they  came  to  the 
palace,  where  the  goddess,  having  first  given  him  some  informa- 
tion of  the  country,  king,  and  people  he  was  about  to  meet,  left 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  327 

him.  Ulysses,  before  entering  the  court- yard  of  the  palace,  stood 
and  surveyed  the  scene.  Its  splendor  astonished  him.  Brazen 
walls  stretched  from  the  entrance  to  the  interior  house,  of  which 
the  doors  were  gold,  the  door-posts  silver,  the  lintels  silver  orna- 
mented with  gold.  On  either  side  were  figures  of  mastiffs  wrought 
in  gold  and  silver,  standing  in  rows  as  if  to  guard  the  approach. 
Along  the  walls  were  seats  spread  through  all  their  length  with 
mantles  of  finest  texture,  the  work  of  Phaeacian  maidens.  On 
these  seats  the  princes  sat  and  feasted,  while  golden  statues  of 
graceful  youths  held  in  their  hands  lighted  torches  which  shed 
radiance  over  the  scene.  Full  fifty  female  menials  served  in 
household  offices,  some  employed  to  grind  the  corn,  others  to 
wind  off  the  purple  wool  or  ply  the  loom.  For  the  Phaeacian 
women  as  far  exceeded  all  other  women  in  household  arts  as  the 
mariners  of  that  country  did  the  rest  of  mankind  in  the  manage- 
ment of  ships.  Without  the  court  a  spacious  garden  lay,  four 
acres  in  extent.  In  it  grew  many  a  lofty  tree,  pomegranate,  pear, 
apple,  fig,  and  olive.  Neither  winter's  cold  nor  summer's  drought 
arrested  their  growth. 

The  languid  sunset,  mother  of  roses.^ 

Lingers,  a  light  on  the  magic  seas, 
The  wide  fire  flames,  as  a  flower  uncloses, 

Heavy  with  odor,  and  loose  to  the  breeze. 

The  red  rose  clouds,  without  law  or  leader, 

Gather  and  float  in  the  airy  plain; 
The  nightingale  sings  to  the  dewy  cedar. 

The  cedar  scatters  his  scent  to  the  main. 

The  strange  flowers'  perfume  turns  to  singing. 

Heard  afar  over  moonlit  seas: 
The  Siren's  song,  grown  faint  in  winging, 

Falls  in  scent  on  the  cedar-trees. 

As  waifs  blown  out  of  the  sunset,  flying. 
Purple,  and  rosy,  and  gray,  the  birds 

1  Andrew  Lang :  A  Song  of  Phasacia. 


328  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Brighten  the  air  with  their  wings;    their  crying 
Wakens  a  moment  the  weary  herds. 

Butterflies  flit  from  the  fairy  garden, 

Living  blossoms  of  flying  flowers; 
Never  the  nights  with  winter  harden, 

Nor  moons  wax  keen  in  this  land  of  ours. 

Great  fruits,  fragrant,  green  and  golden. 
Gleam  in  the  green,  and  droop  and   fall; 

Blossom,  and  bud,  and  flower  unfolden. 
Swing  and  cling  to  the  garden  wall. 

Deep  in  the  woods  as  twilight  darkens, 

Glades  are  red  with  the  scented  fire; 
Far  in  the   dells  the  white  maid  hearkens 

Song  and  sigh  of  the  heart's  desire. 

Ulysses  stood  gazing  in  admiration,  unobserved  himself,  for  the 
cloud  which  Minerva  spread  around  him  still  shielded  him.  At 
length  having  sufficiently  observed  the  scene,  he  advanced  with 
rapid  step  into  the  hall  where  the  chiefs  and  senators  were  as- 
sembled, pouring  libation  to  Mercury,  whose  worship  followed  the 
evening  meal.  Just  then  Minerva  dissolved  the  cloud  and  dis- 
closed him  to  the  assembled  chiefs.  Advancing  to  the  place 
where  the  queen  sat,  he  knelt  at  her  feet  and  implored  her  favor 
and  assistance  to  enable  him  to  return  to  his  native  country. 
Then  withdrawing,  he  seated  himself  in  the  manner  of  suppliants, 
at  the  hearth  side. 

For  a  time  none  spoke.  At  last  an  aged  statesman,  addressing 
the  king,  said,  "  It  is  not  fit  that  a  stranger  who  asks  our  hospi- 
tality should  be  kept  waiting  in  suppliant  guise,  none  welcoming 
him.  Let  him,  therefore,  be  led  to  a  seat  among  us  and  supplied 
with  food  and  wine."  At  these  words  the  king,  rising,  gave  his 
hand  to  Ulysses  and  led  him  to  a  seat,  displacing  thence  his  own 
son  to  make  room  for  the  stranger.  Food  and  wine  were  set 
before  him  and  he  ate  and  refreshed  himself. 

The   king   then  dismissed  his  guests,  notifying  them  that  the 


THE    WANDERINGS    OF  ULYSSES.  329 

next  day  he  would  call  them  to  council  to  consider  what  had  best 
be  done  for  the  stranger. 

When  the  guests  had  departed,  and  Ulysses  was  left  alone  with 
the  king  and  queen,  the  queen  asked  him  who  he  was  and  whence 
he  came,  and  (recognizing  the  clothes  which  he  wore  as  those 
which  her  maidens  and  herself  had  made)  from  whom  he  received 
those  garments.  He  told  them  of  his  residence  in  Calypso's  isle 
and  his  departure  thence ;  of  the  wreck  of  his  raft,  his  escape  by 
swimming,  and  of  the  relief  afforded  by  the  princess.  The  par- 
ents heard  approvingly,  and  the  king  promised  to  furnish  a  ship 
in  which  his  guest  might  return  to  his  own  land. 

The  next  day  the  assembled  chiefs  confirmed  the  promise  of 
the  king.  A  bark  was  prepared  and  a  crew  of  stout  rowers 
selected,  and  all  betook  themselves  to  the  palace,  where  a  boun- 
teous repast  was  provided.  After  the  feast  the  king  proposed  that 
the  young  men  should  show  their  guest  their  proficiency  in  manly 
sports,  and  all  went  forth  to  the  arena  for  games  of  running, 
wrestling,  and  other  exercises.  After  all  had  done  their  best, 
Ulysses  being  challenged  to  show  what  he  could  do,  at  first  de- 
clined, but  being  taunted  by  one  of  the  youths,  seized  a  quoit  of 
weight  far  heavier  than  any  the  Phgeacians  had  thrown,  and  sent 
it  farther  than  the  utmost  throw  of  theirs.  All  were  astonished, 
and  viewed  their  guest  with  greatly  increased  respect. 

After  the  games  they  returned  to  the  hall,  and  the  herald  led  in 
Demodocus,  the  blind  bard, — 

"  Dear  to  the  Muse, 
Who  yet  appointed  him  both  good  and  ill, 
Took  from  liim  sight,  hut  gave  him  strains  divine." 

He  took  for  his  theme  the  Wooden  Horse,  by  means  of  which  the 
Greeks  found  entrance  into  Troy.  Apollo  inspired  him,  and  he 
sang  so  feelingly  the  terrors  and  the  exploits  of  that  eventful  time 
that  all  were  delighted,  but  Ulysses  was  moved  to  tears.  Observ- 
ing which,  Alcinous,  when  the  song  was  done,  demanded  of  him 
why  at  the  mention  of  Troy  his  sorrows  awaked.     Had  he  lost 


330  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

there  a  father,  or  brother,  or  any  dear  friend  ?  Ulysses  replied  by 
announcing  himself  by  his  true  name,  and,  at  their  request,  re- 
counted the  adventures  which  had  befallen  him  since  his  departure 
from  Troy.  This  narrative  raised  the  sympathy  and  admiration  of 
the  Phaeacians  for  their  guest  to  the  highest  pitch.  The  king  pro- 
posed that  all  the  chiefs  should  present  him  with  a  gift,  himself 
setting  the  example.  They  obeyed,  and  vied  with  one  another  in 
loading  the  illustrious  stranger  with  costly  gifts. 

The  next  day  Ulysses  set  sail  in  the  Phaeacian  vessel,  and  in  a 
short  time  arrived  safe  at  Ithaca,  his  own  island.  When  the  vessel 
touched  the  strand  he  was  asleep.  The  mariners,  without  waking 
him,  carried  him  on  shore,  and  landed  with  him  the  chest  contain- 
ing his  presents,  and  then  sailed  away, 

Neptune  was  so  displeased  at  the  conduct  of  the  Phaeacians  in 
thus  rescuing  Ulysses  from  his  hands,  that,  on  the  return  of  the 
vessel  to  port,  he  transformed  it  into  a  rock,  right  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor. 

§  173.  Fate  of  the  Suitors.  — Ulysses  had  now  been  away  from 
Ithaca  for  twenty  years,  and  when  he  awoke  he  did  not  recognize 
his  native  land.  Minerva  appeared  to  him  in  the  form  of  a  young 
shepherd,  informed  him  where  he  was,  and  told  him  the  state  of 
things  at  his  palace.  More  than  a  hundred  nobles  of  Ithaca,  and 
of  the  neighboring  islands,  had  been  for  years  suing  for  the  hand  of 
Penelope,  his  wife,  imagining  him  dead,  and  lording  it  over  his 
palace  and  people  as  if  they  were  owners  of  both. 

Penelope  was  one  of  those  mythic  heroines  whose  beauties  were 
not  those  of  person  only,  but  of  character  and  conduct  as  well.  She 
was  the  niece  of  Tyndareus,  —  being  the  daughter  of  his  brother 
Icarius,  a  Spartan  prince.  Ulysses,  seeking  her  in  marriage, 
had  won  her  over  all  competitors.  But,  when  the  moment  came 
for  the  bride  to  leave  her  father's  house,  Icarius,  unable  to  bear 
the  thoughts  of  parting  with  his  daughter,  tried  to  persuade  her 
to  remain  with  him,  and  not  accompany  her  husband  to  Ithaca. 
Ulysses  gave  Penelope  her  choice,  to  stay  or  go  with  him.  Penel- 
ope made  no  reply,  but  dropped  her  veil  over  her  face.     Icarius 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES. 


331 


urged  her  no  further,  but  when  she  was  gone  erected  a  statue  to 
Modesty  on  the  spot  where  they  parted. 

Ulysses  and  Penelope  had  not  enjoyed  their  union  more  than  a 
year  when  it  was  interrupted  by  the  events  which  called  Ulysses  to 
the  Trojan  war.  During  his  long  absence,  and  when  it  was  doubt- 
ful whether  he  still  lived,  and  highly  improbable  that  he  would  ever 
return,  Penelope  was  importuned  by  numerous  suitors,  from  whom 
there  seemed  no  refuge  but  in  choosing  one  of  them  for  her  hus- 
band. She,  however,  employed  every  art  to  gain  time,  still  hop- 
ing for  Ulysses'  return.  One  of  her  arts  of  delay  was  by  engaging 
in  the  preparation  of  a  robe  for  the  funeral  canopy  of  Laertes,  her 


husband's  father.  She  pledged  herself  to  make  her  choice  among 
the  suitors  when  the  web  was  finished.  During  the  day  she 
worked  at  it,  but  in  the  night  she  undid  the  work  of  the  day. 

That  Ulysses  on  returning  might  be  able  to  take  vengeance  upon 
the  suitors,  it  was  important  that  he  should  not  be  recognized, 
Minerva  accordingly  metamorphosed  him  into  an  unsightly  beggar, 
and  as  such  he  was  kindly  received  by  Eumseus,  the  swine-herd,  a 
faithful  servant  of  his  house. 

Telemachus,  his  son,  had,  for  some  time,  been  absent  in  quest 
of  his  father,  visiting  the  courts  of  the  other  kings,  who  had  re- 


332  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

turned  from  the  Trojan  expedition.  While  on  the  search,  he 
received  counsel  from  Minerva  to  return  home.  He  arrived,  at 
this  juncture,  and  sought  Eumaeus  to  learn  something  of  the 
state  of  affairs  at  the  palace  before  presenting  himself  among 
the  suitors.  Finding  a  stranger  with  Eumseus,  he  treated  him 
courteously,  though  in  the  garb  of  a  beggar,  and  promised  him 
assistance.  Eumaeus  was  sent  to  the  palace  to  inform  Penelope 
privately  of  her  son's  arrival,  for  caution  was  necessary  with 
regard  to  the  suitors,  who,  as  Telemachus  had  learned,  were 
plotting  to  intercept  and  kill  him.  When  the  swine-herd  was 
gone,  Minerva  presented  herself  to  Ulysses,  and  directed  him 
to  make  himself  known  to  his  son.  At  the  same  time  she  touched 
him,  removed  at  once  from  him  the  appearance  of  age  and  penury, 
and  gave  him  the  aspect  of  vigorous  manhood  that  belonged  to 
him.  Telemachus  viewed  him  with  astonishment,  and  at  first 
thought  he  must  be  more  than  mortal.  But  Ulysses  announced 
himself  as  his  father,  and  accounted  for  the  change  of  appearance, 
by  explaining  that  it  w^as  Minerva's  doing. 

Then  threw  Telemachus 
His  arms  around  his  father's  neck  and  wept.  . 

Desire  intense  of  lamentation  seized 
On  both;   soft  murmurs  uttering,  each  indulged 
His  grief.i 

The  father  and  son  took  counsel  together  how  they  should  get 
the  better  of  the  suitors  and  punish  them  for  their  outrages.  It 
was  arranged  that  Telemachus  should  proceed  to  the  palace  and 
mingle  with  the  suitors  as  formerly;  that  Ulysses  should  also  go  as 
a  beggar,  a  character  which  in  the  rude  old  times  had  different 
privileges  from  what  we  concede  to  it  now.  As  traveller  and 
story-teller,  the  beggar  was  admitted  in  the  halls  of  chieftains,  and 
often  treated  like  a  guest ;  though  sometimes,  also,  no  doubt,  with 
contumely.  Ulysses  charged  his  son  not  to  betray,  by  any  dis- 
play of  unusual  interest  in  him,  that  he  knew  him  to  be  other  than 

1  Odyssey  i6 :  212.    Cowper's  translation. 


THE    WANDERINGS   OF  ULYSSES.  333 

he  seemed,  and  even  if  he  saw  him  insulted,  or  beaten,  not  to 
interpose  otherwise  than  he  might  do  for  any  stranger.  At  the 
palace  they  found  the  usual  scene  of  feasting  and  riot  going  on. 
The  suitors  pretended  to  receive  Telemachus  with  joy  at  his  re- 
turn, though  secretly  mortified  at  the  failure  of  their  plots  to  take 
his  life.  The  old  beggar  was  permitted  to  enter,  and  provided 
with  a  portion  from  the  table.  A  touching  incident  occurred  as 
Ulysses  entered  the  court-yard  of  the  palace.  An  old  dog  lay  in 
the  yard  almost  dead  with  age,  and  seeing  a  stranger  enter,  raised 
his  head,  with  ears  erect.  It  was  Argus,  Ulysses'  own  dog,  that 
he  had  in  other  days  often  led  to  the  chase. 

Soon  as  he  perceived 
Long-lost  Ulysses  nigh,  down  fell  his  ears 
Qapped  close,  and  with  his  tail  glad  sign  he  gave 
Of  gratulation,  impotent  to  rise. 
And  to  approach  his  master  as  of  old. 
Ulysses,  noting  him,  wiped  off  a  tear 
Unmarked. 

.  .  .  Then  his  destiny  released 
Old  Argus,  soon  as  he  had  lived  to  see 
Ulysses  in  the  twentieth  year  restored.^ 

As  Ulysses  sat  eating  his  portion  in  the  hall,  the  suitors  soon 
began  to  exhibit  their  insolence  to  him.  When  he  mildly  remon- 
strated, one  of  them  raised  a  stool  and  with  it  gave  him  a  blow, 
Telemachus  had  hard  work  to  restrain  his  indignation  at  seeing  his 
father  so  treated  in  his  own  hall ;  but,  remembering  his  father's 
injunctions,  said  no  more  than  what  became  him  as  master  of  the 
house,  though  young,  and  protector  of  his  guests. 

Once,  again,  was  the  wanderer  all  but  betrayed  ;  —  when  his 
aged  nurse  Euryclea,  bathing  his  feet,  recognized  the  scar  of  a 
wound  dealt  him  by  a  boar,  long  ago.  Grief  and  joy  over- 
whelmed the  crone,  and  she  would  have  revealed  him  to  Penelope, 
had  not  Ulysses  enjoined  silence  upon  her. 

Penelope  had  protracted  her  decision  in  favor  of  any  one  of  her 
suitors  so  long,  that  there  seemed  to  be  no  further  pretence  for 
^  Odyssey  16 :  290.    Cowper's  translation. 


334 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


delay.     The  continued  absence  of  her  husband  seemed  to  prove 
that  his  return  was  no  longer  to  be  expected.     Meanwhile  her  son 

had  grown  up,  and  was  able  to 
manage  his  own  affairs.  She 
therefore  consented  to  submit 
the  question  of  her  choice  to  a 
trial  of  skill  among  the  suitors. 
The  test  selected  was  shooting 
with  the  bow.  Twelve  rings 
were  arranged  in  a  line,  and  he 
whose  arrow  was  sent  through 
the  whole  twelve,  was  to  have  the 
queen  for  his  prize.  A  bow  that 
one  of  his  brother  heroes  had 
given  to  Ulysses  in  former  times, 
was  brought  from  the  armory, 
and  with  its  quiver  full  of  arrows  was  laid  in  the  hall.  Telema- 
chus  had  taken  care  that  all  other  weapons  should  be  removed, 
under  pretence  that  in  the  heat  of  competition,  there  was  danger, 
in  some  rash  moment,  of  putting  them  to  an  improper  use. 

All  things  being  prepared  for  the  trial,  the  first  thing  to  be  done 
was  to  bend  the  bow  in  order  to  attach  the  string.  Telemachus 
endeavored  to  do  it,  but  found  all  his  efforts  fruitless ;  and 
modestly  confessing  that  he  had  attempted  a  task  beyond  his 
strength,  he  yielded  the  bow  to  another.  He  tried  it  with  no 
better  success,  and,  amidst  the  laughter  and  jeers  of  his  com- 
panions, gave  it  up.  Another  tried  it  and  another ;  they  rubbed 
the  bow  with  tallow,  but  all  to  no  purpose ;  it  would  not  bend. 
Then  spoke  Ulysses,  humbly  suggesting  that  he  should  be  per- 
mitted to  try ;  for,  said  he,  "  beggar  as  I  am,  I  was  once  a  soldier, 
and  there  is  still  some  strength  in  these  old  limbs  of  mine."  The 
suitors  hooted  with  derision,  and  commanded  to  turn  him  out  of 
the  hall  for  his  insolence.  But  Telemachus  spoke  up  for  him,  and 
merely  to  gratify  the  old  man,  bade  him  try.  Ulysses  took  the 
bow,  and  handled  it  with  the  hand  of  a  master.     With  ease  he 


THE   WANDERJIfGS  OF  ULYSSES.  U$ 

adjusted  the  cord  toitsnotdi,  then  fittmg:  an  anov  to  the  boir  he 
dmr  tfaestrii^and  sped  the  anov^  anening  throi^  the  lingL 

Without  aDoviDg  them  time  to  express  their  astonHJiment,  he 
said,  "  Nov  lev  another  mark  I ""  and  aimed  direct  at  die  most 
insolent  one  of  the  soiton.  The  anov  pieiced  throng^  Us  thnnt 
and  he  fdl  dead.  Telemacfaos^  Eomaeas,  and  another  faidifid 
foOover,  vefl  anned,  nov  ^lai^  to  the  side  of  UlfBsesu  The 
snitors,  in  amazement,  looked  roond  fix*  anns^  bat  fbond  non^ 
neither  was  there  ai^  way  of  escape,  far  Emnaens  hal  seemed  the 
door.  Uljfsses  left  them  not  kmg  in  ancertainty ;  he  ammiinr*^! 
himself  as  the  hng-hist  chief,  whose  hoose  diey  had  inraded, 
whose  substanre  thej  had  stpiandered,  whose  wife  and  son  dief 
had  persecnted  for  ten  kmg  jeais ;  and  toU  diem  he  meant  to 
hare  ample  voigeance.  All  were  sbin,  and  Ulysses  was  left  master 
of  his  palace  and  possessor  of  his  kingdom  and  hb  wifeL 

Tennyson's  poem  of  l%sses  repieaenis  the  old  hero, — hb  dan- 
geis  past  and  nothii^  left  but  to  sta^  at  home  and  be  happr,  — 
growii^  tired  of  inartion  and  resrfying  to  set  forth  agnn  in  quest 
of  new  adventures. 

*It  Ende  pnifib  Out  am  i3t  Kne, 

Bf  Ab  tfai  health,  aaaoag  these  banoi  cxags 

llatch^d  vith  aa  agtd  witt,  I  mete  awl  dole 
•Uae(|aal  Ims  aato  a  M*jeii  race. 

That  hoanl.  awl  ^etp,  aad  feed,  a^  kwMr  aot  ae. 

I  faaunt  lOt  tamm  bcnnei:   I  vnB  doak 

Lifie  Id  thr  lecs:  al  tbaes  I  hare  capov'd 

Gieallji  have  sima^A  pcaihr.  boih  vidk  Ihiwr 

That  hwcd  mt,  aad  akw;   oa  ikare^  ai 

Thni''  traifcBag  drifts  Ac  laiajr  Hjades 

Vest  the  dia  sea:   I 

For  ahrats 

llach  havr  I  aeca  aad  kaowa;    dlia  of  : 

Aad  mm 

Mjadf  aot  kart.  hm  hamot'd  at 

Aad  draak  defi^  of  hatdr  with  aqr  peas 

Far  OB  the  naglBe  ptrias  of  viadf  Ttof. 

I  aai  a  pait  ot  d  that  I  hare  Bet; 


336  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Yet  all  experience  is  an  arch  wherethro' 

Gleams  that  untravell'd  world,  whose  margin  fades 

Forever  and  forever  when  I  move. 

How  dull  it  is  to  pause,  to  make  an  end, 

To  rust  unburnish'd,  not  to  shine  in  use ! 

As  tho'  to  breathe  were  life.     Life  piled  on  life 

Were  all  too  little,  and  of  one  to  me 

Little  remains;    but  every  hour  is  saved 

From  that  eternal  silence,  something  more, 

A  bringer  of  new  things;    and  vile  it  were 

For  some  three  suns  to  store  and  hoard  myself. 

And  this  gray  spirit  yearning  in  desire 

To  follow  knowledge  like  a  sinking  star. 

Beyond  the  utmost  bound  of  human  thought. 

"This  is  my  son,  mine  own  Telemachus, 
To  whom  I  leave  the  sceptre  and  the  isle  — 
Well-loved  of  me,  discerning  to  fulfil 
This  labor,  by  slow  prudence  to  make  mild 
A  rugged  people,  and  thro'  soft  degrees 
Subdue  them  to  the  useful  and  the  good. 
Most  blameless  is  he,  centred  in  the  sphere 
Of  common  duties,  decent  not  to  fail 
In  offices  of  tenderness,  and  pay 
Meet  adoration  to  my  household  gods. 
When  I  am  gone.     He  works  his  work,  I  mine. 

"There  lies  the  port:    the  vessel  puffs  her  sail: 
There  gloom  the  dark  broad  seas.     My  mariners, 
Souls  that  have  toil'd,  and  wrought,  and  thought  with  me- 
That  ever  with  a  frolic  welcome  took 
The  thunder  and  the  sunshine,  and  opposed 
Free  hearts,  free  foreheads  —  you  and  I  are  old; 
Old  age  hath  yet  his  honor  and  his  toil; 
Death  closes  all :  but  something  ere  the  end. 
Some  work  of  noble  note  may  yet  be  done. 
Not  unbecoming  men  that  strove  with  Gods. 
The  lights  begin  to  twinkle  from  the  rocks: 
The  long  day  wanes :    the  slow  moon  climbs :    the  deep 
Moans  round  with  many  voices.     Come,  my  friends, 
Tis  not  too  late  to  seek  a  newer  world. 
Push  off,  and  sitting  well  in  order  smite 


THE    WANDERINGS    OF  ULYSSES.  337 

The  sounding  furrows;   for  my  purpose  holds 

To  sail  beyond  the  sunset,  and  the  baths 

Of  all  the  western  stars,  until  I  die. 

It  may  be  that  the  gulfs  will  wash  us  down : 

It  may  be  we  shall  touch  the  Happy  Isles, 

And  see  the  great  Achilles,  whom  we  knew. 

Tho'  much  is  taken,  much  abides:    and  the' 

We  are  not  now  that  strength  which  in  old  days 

Moved  earth  and  heaven,  that  which  we  are,  we  are : 

One  equal  temper  of  heroic  hearts, 

Made  weak  by  time  and  fate,  but  strong  in  will 

To  strive,  to  seek,  to  find,  and  not  to  yield." 


33S 


claSs/c  myths  In  RNglish  literature. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 


ADVENTURES   OF   iENEAS. 


§  174.  From  Troy  to  Italy.  —  Homer  tells  the  story  of  one  of 
the  Grecian  heroes,  Ulysses,  in  his  wanderings,  on  his  return  home 
from  Troy.     Vergil  in  his  ^neid  narrates  the  mythical  fortunes  of 

the  remnant  of  the  conquered  people, 
under    their    chief    ^^neas,    in    their 
(JC  /*tlB^  search  for  a  new  home,  after  the  ruin 

^^  /sylffS^BUs.  of  their  native  city.  On  that  fatal 
night  when  the  wooden  horse  dis- 
gorged its  contents  of  armed  men, 
and  the  capture  and  conflagration  of 
the  city  were  the  result,  ^neas  made 
his  escape  from  the  scene  of  destruc- 
tion, with  his  father,  and  his  wife,  and 
young  son.  The  father,  Anchises,  was 
too  old  to  walk  with  the  speed  re- 
quired, and  -^neas  took  him  upon  his 
shoulders.  Thus  burdened,  leading 
his  son  and  followed  by  his  wife,  he 
made  the  best  of  his  way  out  of  the 
burning  city ;  but,  in  the  confusion,  his  wife,  Creiisa,  was  swept 
away  and  lost. 

The  Departure  from  Troy.  —  On  arriving  at  the  place  of  rendez- 
vous, numerous  fugitives,  of  both  sexes,  were  found,  who  put  them- 
selves under  the  guidance  of  .^neas.  Some  months  were  spent  in 
preparation,  and  at  length  they  embarked.  They  first  landed  on 
the  neighboring  shores  of  Thrace,  and  were  preparing  to  build  a 
city ;   but  JEneas  was  deterred  by  a  prodigy.     Preparing  to  offer 


ADVENTURES   OF  jENEAS.  339 

sacrifice,  he  tore  some  twigs  from  one  of  the  bushes.  To  his  dis- 
may the  wounded  part  dropped  blood.  When  he  repeated  the 
act,  a  voice  from  the  ground  cried  out  to  him,  "  Spare  me,  ^neas  ; 
I  am  thy  kinsman,  Polydore,  here  murdered  with  many  arrows, 
from  which  a  bush  has  grown,  nourished  with  my  blood."  These 
words  recalled  to  the  recollection  of  ^neas  that  Polydore  was  a 
young  prince  of  Troy,  whom  his  father  had  sent  with  ample  treas- 
ures to  the  neighboring  land  of  Thrace,  to  be  there  brought  up,  at 
a  distance  firom  the  horrors  of  war^  The  king  to  whom  he  was 
sent  had  murdered  him,  and  seized  his  treasures,  ^neas  and  his 
companions,  considering  the  land  accursed  by  the  stain  of  such  a 
crime,  hastened  away. 

The  Promised  Empire.  —  They  next  landed  on  the  island  of  De- 
los.  Here  .-Eneas  consulted  the  oracle  of  Apollo,  and  received  an 
answer,  ambiguous  as  usual,  —  "  Seek  thy  ancient  mother ;  there 
the  race  of  ^^neas  shall  dwell,  and  reduce  all  other  nations  to  their 
sway."  The  Trojans  heard  with  joy,  and  immediately  began  to 
ask  one  another,  "Where  is  the  spot  intended  by  the  oracle?" 
Anchises  remembered  that  there  was  a  tradition  that  their  fore- 
fathers came  from  Crete,  and  thither  they  resolved  to  steer.  They 
arrived  at  Crete,  and  began  to  build  their  city ;  but  sickness  broke 
out  among  them,  and  the  fields,  that  they  had  planted,  failed  to 
yield  a  crop.  In  this  gloomy  aspect  of  affairs,  ^Eneas  was  warned 
in  a  dream  to  leave  the  country,  and  seek  a  western  land,  called 
Hesperia,  whence  Dardanus,  the  true  founder  of  the  Trojan  race, 
was  reported  to  have  migrated.  To  Hesperia,  now  called  Italy, 
they,  therefore,  directed  their  future  course,  and  not  till  after 
many  adventures,  and  the  lapse  of  time  sufficient  to  carry  a  mod- 
ern navigator  several  times  roimd  the  world,  did  they  arrive  there. 

The  Harpies.  — Their  first  landing  was  at  the  island  of  the  Har- 
pies. These  were  disgusting  birds,  with  the  heads  of  maidens, 
with  long  claws  and  faces  pale  with  hunger.  They  were  sent  by 
the  gods  to  torment  a  certain  Phineus,  whom  Jupiter  had  deprived 
of  his  sight,  in  punishment  of  his  cruelty ;  and  whenever  a  meal 
was  placed  before  him,  the  harpies  darted  down  from  the  air  and 


340  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

carried  it  off.  They  were  driven  away  from  Phineus  by  the  heroes 
of  the  Argonautic  expedition,  and  took  refuge  in  the  island  where 
^neas  now  found  them.  When  the  Trojans  entered  the  port  they 
saw  herds  of  cattle  roaming  over  the  plain.  They  slew  as  many  as 
they  wished,  and  prepared  for  a  feast.  But  no  sooner  had  they 
seated  themselves  at  the  table,  than  a  horrible  clamor  was  heard 
in  the  air,  and  a  flock  of  these  odious  harpies  came  rushing  down 
upon  them,  seizing  in  their  talons  the  meat  from  the  dishes,  and 
flying  away  with  it.  .^neas  and  his  companions  drew  their  swords, 
and  dealt  vigorous  blows  among  the  monsters,  but  to  no  purpose, 
for  they  were  so  nimble  it  was  almost  impossible  to  hit  them,  and 
their  feathers  were,  like  armor,  impenetrable  to  steel.  One  of  them, 
perched  on  a  neighboring  cliff,  screamed  out,  "  Is  it  thus,  Trojans, 
ye  treat  us  innocent  birds,  first  slaughter  our  cattle,  and  then 
make  war  on  ourselves  ?  "  She  then  predicted  dire  sufferings  to 
them  in  their  future  course,  and  having  vented  her  wrath,  flew 
away. 

Epirus.  — The  Trojans  made  haste  to  leave  the  country,  and  next 
found  themselves  coasting  along  the  shore  of  Epinis.  Here  they 
landed,  and  to  their  astonishment  learned  that  certain  Trojan 
exiles,  who  had  been  carried  there  as  prisoners,  had  become  nilers 
of  the  country.  Andromache,  the  widow  of  Hector,  had  become 
the  wife  of  one  of  the  victorious  Grecian  chiefs,  to  whom  she  bore  a 
son.  Her  husband  dying,  she  was  left  regent  of  this  country,  as 
guardian  of  her  son,  and  had  married  a  fellow- captive,  Helenus,  of 
the  royal  race  of  Troy.  Helenus  and  Andromache  treated  the 
exiles  with  the  utmost  hospitality,  and  dismissed  them  loaded  with 
gifts. 

The  Cyclopes.  —  From  hence  ^neas  coasted  along  the  shore  of 
Sicily,  and  passed  the  country  of  the  Cyclopes.  Here  they  were 
hailed  from  the  shore  by  a  miserable  object,  whom  by  his  gar- 
ments tattered  as  they  were,  they  perceived  to  be  a"  Greek.  He 
told  them  he  was  one  of  Ulysses'  companions,  left  behind  by  that 
chief  in  his  hurried  departure.  He  related  the  story  of  Ulysses' 
adventure  with  Polyphemus,  and  besought  them  to  take  him  off 


ADVENTURES   OF  MNEAS. 


341 


with  them,  as  he  had  no  means  of  sustaining  his  existence  where 
he  was,  but  wild  berries  and  roots,  and  Hved  in  constant  fear  of 
the  Cyclopes.  While  he  spoke  Polyphemus  made  his  appearance ; 
terrible,  shapeless,  vast,  and,  of  course,  blind.^  He  walked  with 
cautious  steps,  feeling  his  way  with  a  staff,  do\vn  to  the  sea-side, 
to  wash  his  eye-socket  in  the  waves.  When  he  reached  the  water 
he  waded  out  towards  them,  and  his  immense  height  enabled  him 
to  advance  far  into  the  sea,  so  that  the  Trojans,  in  terror,  took  to 
their  oars  to  get  out  of  his  way.  Hearing  the  oars,  Polyphemus 
shouted  after  them,  so  that  the  shores  resounded,  and  at  the  noise 
the  other  Cyclopes  came  forth 
from  their  caves  and  woods, 
and  lined  the  shore,  like  a  row 
of  lofty  pine-trees.  The  Tro- 
jans plied  their  oars,  and  soon 
left  them  out  of  sight. 

^neas  had  been  cautioned 
by  Helenus  to  avoid  the  strait 
guarded  by  the  monsters 
Scylla  and  Charybdis.  There 
Ulysses,  the  reader  will  re- 
member, had  lost  six  of  his 
men,  seized  by  Scylla,  while 
the  navigators  were  wholly 
vEneas,  following  the  advice  of  Helenus,  shunned  the  dangerous 
pass  and  coasted  along  the  island  of  Sicily. 

The  Resentment  of  Juno.  —  Now  Juno,  seeing  the  Trojans  speed- 
ing their  way  prosperously  towards  their  destined  shore,  felt  her  old 
grudge  against  them  revive,  for  she  could  not  forget  the  slight  that 
Paris  had  put  upon  her,  in  awarding  the  prize  of  beauty  to  another. 
In  heavenly  minds  can  such  resentment  dwell !  -  Accordingly  she 
gave  orders  to  ^olus,  who  sent  forth  his  sons,  Boreas,  Typhon  and 

1  Monstrum  horrenduin,  informe,  ingens,  cui  lumen  ademptum. 

—  Verg.  ^n.  3  :  658. 
-  Tantaene  anitnis  coelestibus  irae?  —  v<E«.  i :  11. 


342  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LIT  ERA  TURE. 

the  other  winds,  to  toss  the  ocean.  A  terrible  storm  ensued,  and 
the  Trojan  ships  were  driven  out  of  their  course  towards  the  coast 
of  Africa.  They  were  in  imminent  danger  of  being  wrecked,  and 
were  separated,  so  that  ^neas  thought  that  all  were  lost  except 
his  own  vessel. 

At  this  crisis,  Neptune,  hearing  the  storm  raging,  and  knowing 
that  he  had  given  no  orders  for  one,  raised  his  head  above  the 
waves,  and  saw  the  fleet  of  ^neas  driving  before  the  gale.  Under- 
standing the  hostility  of  Juno,  he  was  at  no  loss  to  account  for  it,  but 
his  anger  was  not  the  less  at  this  interference  in  his  province.  -He 
called  the  winds  and  dismissed  them  with  a  severe  reprimand. 
He  then  soothed  the  waves,  and  brushed  away  the  clouds  from 
before  the  face  of  the  sun.  Some  of  the  ships  which  had  got  on 
the  rocks,  he  pried,  off  with  his  own  trident,  while  Triton  and  a 
sea-nymph,  putting  their  shoulders  under  others,  set  them  afloat 
again.  The  Trojans,  when  the  sea  became  calm,  sought  the  near- 
est shore,  —  the  coast  of  Carthage,  where  ^neas  was  so  happy 
as  to  find  that  one  by  one  the  ships  all  arrived  safe,  though  badly 
shaken. 

The  Sojourn  at  Carthage.  Dido. — Carthage,  where  the  exiles 
had  now  arrived,  was  a  spot  on  the  coast  of  Africa  opposite  Sicily, 
where  at  that  time  a  Tyrian  colony  under  Dido  their  queen,  were 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  state  destined  in  later  ages  to  be  the 
rival  of  Rome  itself.  Dido  was  the  daughter  of  Belus,  king  of 
Tyre,  and  sister  of  Pygmalion  who  succeeded  his  father  on  the 
throne.  Her  husband  was  Sichaeus,  a  man  of  immense  wealth, 
but  Pygmalion,  who  coveted  his  treasures,  caused  him  to  be  put  to 
death.  Dido,  with  a  numerous  body  of  friends  and  followers,  both 
men  and  women,  succeeded  in  effecting  their  escape  from  Tyre,  in 
several  vessels,  carrying  with  them  the  treasures  of  Sichaeus.  On 
arriving  at  the  spot  which  they  selected  as  the  seat  of  their  future 
home,  they  asked  of  the  natives  only  so  much  land  as  they  could 
enclose  with  a  bull's  hide.  When  this  was  readily  granted,  she 
caused  the  hide  to  be  cut  into  strips,  and  with  them  enclosed  a 
spot  on  which  she  built  a  citadel,  and  called  it  Byrsa  (a  hide). 


ADVENTURES   OF  .^NEAS.  343 

Around  this  fort  the  city  of  Carthage  rose,  and  soon  became  a 
powerful  and  flourishing  place. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  .'Eneas  with  his  Trojans  ar- 
rived there.  Dido  received  the  illustrious  exiles  with  friendliness 
and  hospitality.  "  Not  unacquainted  with  distress,"  she  said,  "  I 
have  learned  to  succor  the  unfortunate."'  The  queen's  hospitality 
displayed  itself  in  festivities  at  which  games  of  strength  and  skill 
were  exhibited.  The  strangers  contended  for  the  palm  with  her 
own  subjects,  on  equal  terms,  the  queen  declaring  that  whether 
the  victor  were  "Trojan  or  Tyrian  should  make  no  difference  to 
her."  *  At  the  feast  which  followed  the  games,  .Eneas  gave  at  her 
request  a  recital  of  the  closing  events  of  the  Trojan  history  and  his 
own  adventures  after  the  fall  of  the  city.  Dido  was  charmed  with 
his  discourse  and  filled  with  admiration  of  his  exploits.  She  con- 
ceived an  ardent  passion  for  him,  and  he  for  his  part  seemed  well 
content  to  accept  the  fortunate  chance  which  appeared  to  offer 
him  at  once  a  happy  termination  of  his  wanderings,  a  home,  a 
kingdom,  and  a  bride.  Months  rolled  away  in  the  enjoyment  of 
pleasant  intercourse,  and  it  seemed  as  if  Italy,  and  the  empire 
destined  to  be  founded  on  its  shores,  were  alike  forgotten.  Seeing 
which.  Jupiter  despatched  Mercury  with  a  message  to  -^neas  re- 
calling him  to  a  sense  of  his  high  destiny,  and  commanding  him 
to  resume  his  voyage. 

^•Eneas  parted  from  Dido,  though  she  tried  every  allurement  and 
persuasion  to  detain  him.  The  blow  to  her  affection  and  her  pride 
was  too  much  for  her  to  endure,  and  when  she  found  that  he  was 
gone,  she  mounted  a  fimeral  pile  which  she  had  caused  to  be  pre- 
pared, and  having  stabbed  herself  was  consumed  with  the  pile. 
The  flames  rising  over  the  city  were  seen  by  the  departing  Tro- 
jans, and  though  the  cause  was  unknown,  gave  to  ^neas  some 
intimation  of  the  fatal  event. 

Palinurus.  Italy  at  Last.  —  After  touching  at  the  island  of 
Sicily,  where  Acestes,  a  prince  of  Trojan  lineage,  bore  sway,  who 

'  Haud  ignara  mali,  miseris  succurrere  disco.  —  -■£«.  i  :  630. 
2  Tros  Tyriusve  mihi  nuUo  discrimine  agetur.  —  ^n.  i  :  574. 


344  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITEKA  TUNE. 

gave  them  a  hospitable  reception,  the  Trojans  reembarked,  and 
held  on  their  course  for  Italy.  Venus  now  interceded  with  Nep- 
tune to  allow  her  son  at  last  to  attain  the  wished-for  goal,  and  find 
an  end  of  his  perils  on  the  deep.  Neptune  consented,  stipulating 
only  for  one  life  as  a  ransom  for  the  rest.  The  victim  was  Pali- 
nunis,  the  pilot.  As  he  sat  watching  the  stars,  with  his  hand  on 
the  helm,  Somnus,  sent  by  Neptune,  approached  in  the  guise  of 
Phorbas  and  said,  "  Palinurus,  the  breeze  is  fair,  the  water  smooth, 
and  the  ship  sails  steadily  on  her  course.  Lie  down  a  while  and 
take  needful  rest.  I  will  stand  at  the  helm  in  thy  place."  Pali- 
nurus replied,  "  Tell  me  not  of  smooth  seas  or  favoring  winds,  — 
me  who  have  seen  so  much  of  their  treachery.  Shall  I  trust 
.^neas  to  the  chances  of  the  weather  and  the  winds  ?  "  And  he 
continued  to  grasp  the  helm  and  to  keep  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
stars.  But  Somnus  waved  over  him  a  branch  moistened  with 
Lethsean  dew,  and  his  eyes  closed  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts.  Then 
Somnus  pushed  him  overboard  and  he  fell ;  but  keeping  his  hold 
upon  the  helm,  it  came  away  with  him.  Neptune  was  mindful  of 
his  promise  and  kept  the  ship  on  her  track  without  helm  or  pilot, 
till  .^neas  discovered  his  loss,  and  sorrowing  deeply  for  his  faith- 
ful steersman  took  charge  of  the  ship  himself  Under  his  guid- 
ance the  ships  at  last  reached  the  shores  of  Italy,  and  joyfully  the 
adventurers  leaped  to  land. 

The  Sibyl  of  Cumae.  —  While  his  people  were  employed  in 
making  their  encampment  ^Eneas  sought  the  abode  of  the  Sibyl. 
It  was  a  cave  connected  with  a  temple  and  grove,  sacred  to  Apollo 
and  Diana.  While  ^neas  contemplated  the  scene,  the  Sibyl  ac- 
costed him.  She  seemed  to  know  his  errand,  and  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  deity  of  the  place,  burst  forth  in  a  prophetic  strain, 
giving  dark  intimations  of  labors  and  perils  through  which  he  was 
destined  to  make  his  way  to  final  success.  She  closed  with  the 
encouraging  words  which  have  become  proverbial :  —  "  Yield  not 
to  disasters,  but  press  onward  the  more  bravely."^  ^neas  replied 
that  he  had  prepared  himself  for  whatever  might  await  him.  He 
1  Tu  ne  cede  malis,  sed  contra  audentior  ito.  — ^n.  6 :  95. 


ADVENTURES   OF  ^XEAS.  345 

had  but  one  request  to  make.  Having  been  directed  in  a  dream 
to  seek  the  abode  of  the  dead  in  order  to  confer  with  his  father 
Anchises  to  receive  from  him  a  revelation  of  his  future  fortunes 
and  those  of  his  race,  he  asked  her  assistance  to  enable  him  to  ac- 
complish the  task.  The  Sibyl  replied,  "  The  descent  to  Avernus 
is  easy ;  the  gate  of  Pluto  stands  open  night  and  day ;  but  to  re- 
trace one's  steps  and  return  to  the  upper  air,  that  is  the  toil,  that 
the  difficulty.^  She  instructed  him  to  seek  in  the  forest  a  tree  on 
which  grew  a  golden  branch.  This  branch  was  to  be  plucked  off 
and  borne  as  a  gift  to  Proserpine,  and  if  fate  was  propitious  it 
would  yield  to  the  hand  and  quit  its  parent  trunk,  but  otherwise 
no  force  could  rend  it  away.     If  torn  away  another  would  succeed. 

yEneas  followed  the  directions  of  the  Sibyl.  Histnother  Venus 
sent  two  of  her  doves  to  fly  before  him  and  show  him  the  way, 
and  by  their  assistance  he  found  the  tree,  plucked  the  branch, 
and  hastened  back  with  it  to  the  Sibyl. 

§  1 75.  The  Infernal  Regions.  — The  region  where  Vergil  locates 
the  entrance  to  the  infernal  regions  is,  perhaps,  the  most  strikingly 
adapted  to  excite  ideas  of  the  terrific  and  preternatural  of  any  on 
the  face  of  the  earth.  It  is  the  volcanic  region  near  Vesuvius, 
where  the  whole  country  is  cleft  with  chasms  from  which  sulphur- 
ous flames  arise,  while  the  ground  is  shaken  with  pent-up  vapors, 
and  mysterious  sounds  issue  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  The 
lake  Avernus  is  supposed  to  fill  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano. 
It  is  circular,  half  a  mile  wide,  and  very  deep,  surrounded  by  high 
banks,  which  in  Vergil's  time  were  covered  with  a  gloomy  forest. 
Mephitic  vapors  rise  from  its  waters,  so  that  no  life  is  found  on 
its  banks,  and  no  birds  fly  over  it.  Here  ^neas  offered  sacrifices 
to  the  infernal  dieties,  Proserpine,  Hecate,  and  the  Furies.  Then 
a  roaring  was  heard  in  the  earth,  the  woods  on  the  hill-tops  were 
shaken,  and  the  howling  of  dogs  announced  the  approach  of  the 

1  Facilis  descensus  Averni ; 
Noctes  atque  dies  patet  atri  janua  Ditis ; 
Sed  revocare  gradum,  superasque  evadere  ad  auras, 
Hoc  opus,  hie  labor  est.  —  .-£«.  6  :  126-129. 


346 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


deities.  "Now,"  said  the  Sibyl,  "summon  tbiy  courage,  for  thou 
shalt  need  it."  She  descended  into  the  cave  of  Avernus,  and 
^neas  followed.  Before  the  threshold  of  hell  they  passed  through 
a  group  of  beings  who  are  enumerated  as  Griefs  and  avenging 
Cares,  pale  Diseases,  and  melancholy  Age,  Fear  and  Hunger  that 
tempt  to  crime,  Toil,  Poverty,  and  Death,  forms  horrible  to  view. 
The  Furies  spread  their  couches  there,  and  Discord,  whose  hair 
was  of  vipers  tied  up  with  a  bloody  fillet.  Here  also  were  the 
monsters,  Briareus,  with  his  hundred  arms.  Hydras  hissing,  and 

Chimseras  breathing 
fire.  ^neas  shud- 
dered at  the  sight, 
drew  his  sword  and 
would  have  struck,  but 
the  Sibyl  restrained 
him.  They  then  came 
to  the  black  river  Co- 
cytus,  where  they 
found  the  ferryman, 
Charon,  old  and  squal- 
id, but  strong  and 
vigorous,  who  was  re- 
ceiving passengers  of 
all  kinds  into  his  boat, 
stout-hearted  heroes,  boys  and  unmarried  girls,  as  numerous  as  the 
leaves  that  fall  at  autumn,  or  the  flocks  that  fly  southward  at  the  ap- 
proach of  winter.  They  stood  pressing  for  a  passage  and  longing 
to  touch  the  opposite  shore.  But  the  stern  ferryman  took  in  only 
such  as  he  chose,  driving  the  rest  back,  .-^neas,  wondering  at 
the  sight,  asked  the  Sibyl,  "Why  this  discrimination?"  She 
answered,  "  Those  who  are  taken  on  board  the  bark  are  the  souls 
of  those  who  have  received  due  burial  rites  ;  the  host  of  others 
who  have  remained  unburied  are  not  permitted  to  pass  the  flood, 
but  wander  a  hundred  years,  and  flit  to  and  fro  about  the  shore, 
till  at  last  they  are  taken  over."     ^neas  grieved  at  recollecting 


ADVENTURES   OF  yEMEAS.  347 

some  of  his  own  companions  who  had  perished  in  the  storm.  At 
that  moment  he  beheld  Pahnurus,  his  pilot,  who  fell  overboard 
and  was  drowned.  He  addressed  him  and  asked  him  the  cause 
of  his  misfortune.  Palinurus  replied  that  the  rudder  was  carried 
away,  and  he  clinging  to  it  was  swept  away  with  it.  He  besought 
v^neas  most  urgently  to  extend  to  him  his  hand  and  take  him  in 
company  to  the  opposite  shore.  But  the  Sibyl  rebuked  him  for 
the  wish  thus  to  transgress  the  laws  of  Pluto ;  but  consoled  him 
by  informing  him  that  the  people  of  the  shore  where  his  body 
had  been  wafted  by  the  waves  should  be  stirred  up  by  prodigies 
to  give  it  due  burial,  and  that  the  promontory  should  bear  the 
name  of  Cape  Palinurus,  —  and  so  it  does  to  this  day.  Leaving 
Palinurus  consoled  by  these  words,  they  approached  the  boat. 
Charon,  fi.\ing  his  eyes  sternly  upon  the  advancing  warrior,  de- 
manded by  what  right  he,  living  and  armed,  approached  that 
shore.  To  which  the  Sibyl  replied  that  they  would  commit  no 
violence,  that  ^'Eneas'  only  object  was  to  see  his  father,  and  finally 
exhibited  the  golden  branch,  at  sight  of  which  Charon's  wrath 
relaxed,  and  he  made  haste  to  turn  his  bark  to  the  shore,  and 
receive  them  on  board.  The  boat,  adapted  only  to  the  light 
freight  of  botiiless  spirits,  groaned  under  the  weight  of  the  hero. 
They  were  soon  conveyed  to  the  opposite  shore.  There  they 
were  encountered  by  the  three-headed  dog  Cerberus,  with  his 
necks  bristling  with  snakes.  He  barked  with  all  three  throats 
till  the  Sibyl  threw  him  a  medicated  cake,  which  he  eagerly  de- 
voured, and  then  stretched  himself  out  in  his  den  and  fell  asleep, 
viilneas  and  the  Sibyl  sprang  to  land.  The  first  sound  that  struck 
their  ears  was  the  wailing  of  young  children,  who  had  died  on  the 
threshold  of  life  ;  and  near  to  these  were  they  who  had  perished 
under  false  charges.  Minos  presides  over  them  as  judge,  and 
examines  the  deeds  of  each.  The  next  class  was  of  those  who 
had  died  by  their  own  hand,  hating  life  and  seeking  refuge  in 
death.  O,  how  willingly  would  they  now  endure  poverty,  labor, 
and  any  other  infliction,  if  they  might  but  return  to  Hfe  !  Next 
were  situated  the  regions  of  sadness,  divided  off  into  retired  paths, 


348  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

leading  through  groves  of  myrtle.  Here  roamed  those  who  had 
fallen  victims  to  unrequited  love,  not  freed  from  pain  even  by 
death  itself.  Among  these,  ^^neas  thought  he  descried  the 
form  of  Dido,  with  a  wound  still  recent.  In  the  dim  light  he  was 
for  a  moment  uncertain,  but  approaching,  perceived  it  was  indeed 
herself.  Tears  fell  from  his  eyes,  and  he  addressed  her  in  the 
accents  of  love.  "  Unhappy  Dido  !  was  then  the  rumor  true  that 
thou  hadst  perished?  and  was  I,  alas  !  the  cause?  I  call  the  gods 
to  witness  that  my  departure  from  thee  was  reluctant,  and  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  commands  of  Jove  ;  nor  could  I  believe  that  my , 
absence  would  have  cost  thee  so  dear.  Stop,  I  beseech  thee,  and 
refuse  me  not  a  last  farewell."  She  stood  for  a  moment  with 
averted  countenance,  and  eyes  fixed  on  the  ground,  and  then 
silently  passed  on,  as  insensible  to  his  pleadings  as  a  rock, 
^neas  followed  for  some  distance ;  then,  with  a  heavy  heart, 
rejoined  his  companion  and  resumed  his  route. 

They  next  entered  the  fields  where  roam  the  heroes  who  have 
fallen  in  battle.  Here  they  saw  many  shades  of  Grecian  and  Tro- 
jan warriors.  The  Trojans  thronged  around  him,  and  could  not  be 
satisfied  with  the  sight.  They  asked  the  cause  of  his  coming,  and 
plied  him  with  innumerable  questions.  But  the  Greeks,  at  the 
sight  of  his  armor  glittering  through  the  murky  atmosphere,  recog- 
nized the  hero,  and  filled  with  terror  turned  their  backs  and  fled, 
as  they  used  to  do  on  the  plains  of  Troy. 

^neas  would  have  lingered  long  with  his  Trojan  friends,  but 
the  Sibyl  hurried  him  away.  They  next  came  to  a  place  where 
the  road  divided,  the  one  leading  to  Elysium,  the  other  to  the 
regions  of  the  condemned.  vKneas  beheld  on  one  side  the  walls 
of  a  mighty  city,  around  which  Phlegethon  rolled  its  fiery  waters. 
Before  him  was  the  gate  of  adamant  that  neither  gods  nor  men  can 
break  through.  An  iron  tower  stood  by  the  gate,  on  which  Tisi- 
phone,  the  avenging  Fury,  kept  guard.  From  the  city  were  heard 
groans,  and  the  sound  of  the  scourge,  the  creaking  of  iron,  and  the 
clanking  of  chains,  y^neas,  horror-struck,  inquired  of  his  guide 
what  crimes  were  those  whose  punishments  produced  the  sounds 


ADVENTURES   OF  .^NEAS.  349 

he  heard  ?  The  Sibyl  answered,  "  Here  is  the  judgment  hall  of 
Rhadamanthus,  who  brings  to  light  crimes  done  in  life,  which  the 
perpetrator  vainly  thought  impenetrably  hid.  Tisiphone  applies 
her  whip  of  scorpions,  and  delivers  the  offender  over  to  her  sister 
Furies."  At  this  moment,  with  horrid  clajjg,  the  brazen  gates 
unfolded,  and,  within,  vEneas  saw  a  Hydra  with  fifty  heads,  guard- 
ing the  entrance.  The  Sibyl  told  him  that  the  gulf  of  Tartarus 
descended  deep,  so  that  its  recesses  were  as  far  beneath  their  feet 
as  heaven  was  high  above  their  heads.  In  the  bottom  of  this  pit, 
the  Titan  race,  who  warred  against  the  gods,  lie  prostrate  ;  Salmo- 
neus,  also,  who  presumed  to  vie  with  Jupiter,  and  built  a  bridge  of 
brass  over  which  he  drove  his  chariot  that  the  sound  might  resem- 
ble thunder,  launching  flaming  brands  at  his  people  in  imitation  of 
lightning,  till  Jupiter  struck  him  with  a  real  thunderbolt,  and  taught 
him  the  difference  between  mortal  weapons  and  divine.  Here, 
also,  is  Tityus,  the  giant,  whose  form  is  so  immense,  that,  as  he  lies, 
he  stretches  over  nine  acres,  while  a  vulture  preys  upon  his  liver, 
which,  as  fast  as  it  is  devoured  grows  again,  so  that  his  punishment 
will  have  no  end. 

yEneas  saw  groups  seated  at  tables,  loaded  with  dainties,  while 
near  by  stood  a  Fury  who  snatched  away  the  viands  from  their  lips 
as  fast  as  they  prepared  to  taste  them.  Others  beheld  suspended 
over  their  heads  huge  rocks,  threatening  to  fall,  keeping  them  in  a 
state  of  constant  alarm.  These  were  they  who  had  hated  their 
brothers,  or  struck  their  parents,  or  defrauded  the  friends  who 
trusted  them,  or  who,  having  grown  rich,  kept  their  money  to 
themselves,  and  gave  no  share  to  others  ;  the  last  being  the  most 
numerous  class.  Here  also  were  those  who  had  violated  the  mar- 
riage vow,  or  fought  in  a  bad  cause,  or  failed  in  fidelity  to  their 
employers.  Here  was  one  who  had  sold  his  country 'for  gold, 
another  who  perverted  the  laws,  making  them  say  one  thing  to-day 
and  another  tomorrow. 

Ixion  was  there,  fastened  to  the  circumference  of  a  wheel  cease- 
lessly revolving ;  and  Sisyphus,  whose  task  was  to  roll  a  huge  stone 
up  to  a  hill  top,  but  when  the  steep  was  well-nigh  gained,  the  rock, 


350  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 

repulsed  by  some  sudden  force,  rushed  again  headlong  down  to 
the  plain.  Again  he  toiled  at  it,  while  the  sweat  bathed  all  his 
weary  limbs,  but  all  to  no  effect.  There  was  Tantalus,  who  stood 
in  a  pool,  his  chin  level  with  the  water,  yet  he  was  parched  with 
thirst,  and  found  nqfhing  to  assauge  it ;  for  when  he  bowed  his 
hoary  head,  eager  to  quaff,  the  water  fled  away,  leaving  the  ground 
at  his  feet  all  dry.  Tall  trees,  laden  with  fruit,  stooped  their  heads 
to  him,  pears,  pomegranates,  apples,  and  luscious  figs ;  but  when, 
with  a  sudden  grasp,  he  tried  to  seize  them,  winds  whirled  them 
high  above  his  reach. 

The  Elysian  Fields.  — The  Sibyl  now  warned  -^neas  that  it  was 
time  to  turn  from  these  melancholy  regions  and  seek  the  city  of 
the  blessed.  They  passed  through  a  middle  tract  of  darkness,  and 
came  upon  the  Elysian  fields,  the  groves  where  the  happy  reside. 
They  breathed  a  freer  air,  and  saw  all  objects  clothed  in  a  purple 
light.  The  region  had  a  sun  and  stars  of  its  own.  The  inhabitants 
were  enjoying  themselves  in  various  ways,  some  in  sports  on  the 
grassy  turf,  in  games  of  strength  or  skill,  others  dancing  or  singing. 
Orpheus  struck  the  chords  of  his  lyre,  and  called  forth  ravish- 
ing sounds.  Here  yEneas  saw  the  founders  of  the  Trojan  state, 
great-hearted  heroes  who  lived  in  happier  times.  He  gazed  with 
admiration  on  the  war  chariots  and  glittering  arms  now  reposing 
in  disuse.  Spears  stood  fixed  in  the  ground,  and  the  horses, 
unharnessed,  roamed  over  the  plain.  The  same  pride  in  splendid 
armor  and  generous  steeds  which  the  old  heroes  felt  in  life,  accom- 
panied them  here.  He  saw  another  group  feasting,  and  listening 
to  the  strains  of  music.  They  were  in  a  laurel  grove,  whence  the 
great  river  Po  has  its  origin,  and  flows  out  among  men.  Here 
dwelt  those  who  fell  by  wounds  received  in  their  country's  cause, 
holy  priests  also,  and  poets  who  have  uttered  thoughts  worthy  of 
Apollo,  and  others  who  have  contributed  to  cheer  and  adorn  life 
by  their  discoveries  in  the  useful  arts,  and  have  made  their  memory 
blessed  by  rendering  service  to  mankind.  They  wore  snow-white 
fillets  about  their  brows.  The  Sibyl  addressed  a  group  of  these, 
and  inquired  where  Anchises  was  to  be  found.     They  were  directed 


ADVENTURES   OF  .EXE AS.  351 

where  to  seek  him,  and  soon  found  him  in  a  verdant  valley,  where 
he  was  contemplating  the  ranks  of  his  posterity,  their  destinies  and 
worthy  deeds  to  be  achieved  in  coming  times.  When  he  recog- 
nized iEneas  approaching,  he  stretched  out  both  hands  to  him, 
while  tears  flowed  freely.  "  Dost  thou  come  at  last,"  said  he, 
"  long  expected,  and  do  I  behold  thee  after  such  perils  past  ?  O 
my  son,  how  have  I  trembled  for  thee,  as  I  have  watched  thy 
course  !  "  To  which  .-Eneas  replied,  "  O  father  !  thy  image  was 
always  before  me  to  guide  and  guard  me."  Then  he  endeavored 
to  enfold  his  father  in  his  embrace,  but  his  arms  enclosed  only  an 
unsubstantial  shade. 

The  Valley  of  Oblivion.  —  .'Eneas  perceived  before  him  a 
spacious  valley,  with  trees  gently  waving  to  the  wind,  a  tranquil 
landscape,  through  which  the  river  Lethe  flowed.  Along  the 
banks  of  the  stream  wandered  a  countless  multitude,  numerous  as 
insects  in  the  summer  air.  ^neas,  with  surprise,  inquired  who 
were  these.  Anchises  answered,  "They  are  souls  to  which  bodies 
are  to  be  given  in  due  time.  Meanwhile  they  dwell  on  Lethe's 
bank,  and  drink  oblivion  of  their  former  lives."  "O,  father!" 
said  ^neas,  "  is  it  possible  that  any  can  be  so  in  love  with  life, 
as  to  wish  to  leave  these  tranquil  seats  for  the  upper  world?" 
Anchises  replied  by  explaining  the  plan  of  creation.  The  Creator, 
he  told  him,  originally  made  the  material  of  which  souls  are  com- 
posed, of  the  four  elements,  fire,  air,  earth,  and  water,  all  which 
when  united  took  the  form  of  the  most  excellent  part,  fire,  and 
became  y?<z///<f.  This  material  was  scattered  like  seed  among  the 
heavenly  bodies,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars.  Of  this  seed  the 
inferior  gods  created  man  and  all  other  animals,  mingling  it  with 
various  porportions  of  earth,  by  which  its  purity  was  alloyed  and 
reduced.  Thus  the  more  earth  predominates  in  the  composition, 
the  less  pure  is  the  indi\ndual ;  and  we  see  that  men  and  women 
with  their  full-grown  bodies  have  not  the  purity  of  childhood.  So 
in  proportion  to  the  time  which  the  union  of  body  and  soul  has 
lasted,  is  the  impurity  contracted  by  the  spiritual  part.  This  im- 
purity must  be  purged  away  after  death,  which  is  done  by  ven- 


352  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

tilating  the  souls  in  the  current  of  winds,  or  merging  them  in 
water,  or  burning  out  their  impurities  by  fire.  Some  few,  of  whom 
Anchises  intimates  that  he  is  one,  are  admitted  at  once  to  Ely- 
sium, there  to  remain.  But  the  rest,  after  the  impurities  of  earth 
are  purged  away,  are  sent  back  to  life  endowed  with  new  bodies, 
having  had  the  remembrance  of  their  former  lives  effectually 
washed  away  by  the  waters  of  Lethe.  Some  souls,  however,  there 
still  are,  so  thoroughly  corrupted,  that  they  are  not  fit  to  be  in- 
trusted with  human  bodies,  and  these  pass  by  metempsychosis  into 
the  bodies  of  brute  animals. 

Anchises,  having  explained  so  much,  proceeded  to  point  out  to 
.^neas  individuals  of  his  race,  who  were  hereafter  to  be  born,  and 
to  relate  to  him  the  exploits  they  should  perform  in  the  world. 
After  this  he  reverted  to  the  present,  and  told  his  son  of  the 
events  that  remained  to  him  to  be  accomplished  before  the  com- 
plete establishment  of  himself  and  his  followers  in  Italy.  Wars  were 
to  be  waged,  battles  fought,  a  bride  to  be  won,  and,  in  the  result, 
a  Trojan  state  founded,  from  which  should  rise  the  Roman  power, 
to  be  in  time  the  sovereign  of  the  world. 

As  iEneas  and  the  Sibyl  pursued  their  way  back  to  earth,  he 
said  to  her,  "  Whether  thou  be  a  goddess  or  a  mortal  beloved 
by  the  gods,  by  me  thou  shalt  always  be  held  in  reverence. 
When  I  reach  the  upper  air,  I  will  cause  a  temple  to  be  built 
to  thy  honor,  and  will  myself  bring  offerings."  "  I  am  no  god- 
dess," said  the  Sibyl ;  "  I  have  no  claims  to  sacrifice  or  offering. 
I  am  mortal,  yet,  could  I  but  have  accepted  the  love  of  Apollo,  I 
might  have  been  immortal.  He  promised  me  the  fulfilment  of 
my  wish,  if  I  would  consent  to  be  his.  I  took  a  handful  of  sand, 
and  holding  it  forth,  said,  '  Grant  me  to  see  as  many  birthdays  as 
there  are  sand-grains  in  my  hand.'  Unluckily  I  forgot  to  ask  for 
enduring  youth.  This  also  he  would  have  granted,  could  I  have 
accepted  his  love,  but  offended  at  my  refusal,  he  allowed  me  to 
grow  old.  My  youth  and  youthful  strength  fled  long  ago.  I  have 
lived  seven  hundred  years,  and  to  equal  the  number  of  the  sand- 
grains,  I  have  still  to  see  three  hundred  springs  and  three  hundred 


ADVENTURES  OF  ^NEAS.  353 

harvests.  My  body  shrinks  up  as  years  increase,  and  in  time,  I 
shall  be  lost  to  sight,  but  my  voice  will  remain,  and  future  ages 
will  respect  my  sayings." 

These  concluding  words  of  the  Sibyl  alluded  to  her  prophetic 
power.  In  her  cave  she  was  accustomed  to  inscribe  on  leaves 
gathered  from  the  trees  the  names  and  fates  of  individuals.  The 
leaves  thus  inscribed  were  arranged  in  order  within  the  cave,  and 
might  be  consulted  by  her  votaries.  But  if,  perchance,  at  the 
opening  of  the  door  the  wind  rushed  in  and  dispersed  the  leaves, 
the  Sibyl  gave  no  aid  to  restoring  them  again,  and  the  oracle  was 
irreparably  lost. 


354  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE- 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

THE    WAR   BETWEEN    TROJANS   AND    LATINS. 

§  176.  ^neas,  having  parted  from  the  Sibyl  and  rejoined  his 
fleet,  coasted  along  the  shores  of  Italy  and  cast  anchor  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Tiber.  The  poet,  having  brought  his  hero  to  this  spot,  the 
destined  termination  of  his  wanderings,  invokes  his  Muse  to  tell 
him  the  situation  of  things  at  that  eventful  moment.  Latinus, 
third  in  descent  from  Saturn,  ruled  the  country.  He  was  now 
old  and  had  no  male  descendant,  but  had  one  charming  daughter, 
Lavinia,  who  was  sought  in  marriage  by  many  neighboring  chiefs, 
one  of  whom,  Turnus,  king  of  the  Rutulians,  was  favored  by  the 
wishes  of  her  parents.  But  Latinus  had  been  warned  in  a  dream 
by  his  father  Faunus,  that  the  destined  husband  of  Lavinia  should 
come  from  a  foreign  land.  From  that  union  should  spring  a  race 
destined  to  subdue  the  world. 

Our  readers  will  remember  that  in  the  conflict  with  the  Harpies, 
one  of  those  half-human  birds  had  threatened  the  Trojans  with 
dire  sufferings.  In  particular  she  predicted  that  before  their 
wanderings  ceased  they  should  be  pressed  by  hunger  to  devour 
their  tables.  This  portent  now  came  true  ;  for  as  they  took  their 
scanty  meal,  seated  on  the  grass,  the  men  placed  their  hard  bis- 
cuit on  their  laps,  and  put  thereon  whatever  their  gleanings  in  the 
woods  supplied.  Having  despatched  the  latter  they  finished  by 
eating  the  crusts.  Seeing  which,  the  boy  lulus  said  playfully, 
"  See,  we  are  eating  our  tables."  ^neas  caught  the  words  and 
accepted  the  omen.  "  All  hail,  promised  land  !  "  he  exclaimed, 
"  this  is  our  home,  this  our  country  !  "  He  then  took  measures 
to  find  out  who  were  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  who 
their  rulers.     A  hundred  chosen  men  were  sent  to  the  village  of 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND  LATINS.        355 

Latinus,  bearing  presents  and  a  request  for  friendship  and  alliance. 
They  went  and  were  favorably  received.  Latinus  immediately 
concluded  that  the  Trojan  hero  was  no  other  than  the  promised 
son-in-law  announced  by  the  oracle.  He  cheerfully  granted  his 
alliance  and  sent  back  the  messengers  mounted  on  steeds  from  his 
stables,  and  loaded  with  gifts  and  friendly  messages. 

Juno,  seeing  things  go  thus  prosperously  for  the  Trojans,  felt 
her  old  animosity  revive,  summoned  Alecto  from  Erebus,  and  sent 
her  to  stir  up  discord.  The  Fury  first  took  possession  of  the 
queen,  Amata,  and  roused  her  to  oppose  in  every  way  the  new 
alliance.  Alecto  then  sped  to  the  city  of  Tumus,  and  assum- 
ing the  form  of  an  old  priestess,  informed  him  of  the  arrival  of  the 
foreigners,  and  of  the  attempts  of  their  prince  to  rob  him  of  his 
bride.  Next  she  turned  her  attention  to  the  camp  of  the  Trojans. 
There  she  saw  the  boy  lulus  and  his  companions  amusing  them- 
selves with  hunting.  She  sharpened  the  scent  of  the  dogs,  and 
led  them  to  rouse  up  from  the  thicket  a  tame  stag,  the  favorite 
of  Silvia,  the  daughter  of  Tyrrheus,  the  king's  herdsman.  A 
javelin  from  the  hand  of  lulus  wounded  the  animal,  which  had 
only  strength  left  to  run  homeward,  —  and  died  at  its  mistress's 
feet.  Her  cries  and  tears  roused  her  brothers  and  the  herdsmen, 
and  they,  seizing  whatever  weapons  came  to  hand,  furiously  as- 
saulted the  hunting  party.  These  were  protected  by  their  friends, 
and  the  herdsmen  were  finally  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  two  of 
their  number. 

These  things  were  enough  to  rouse  the  storm  of  war,  and  the 
queen,  Tumus,  and  the  peasants  all  urged  the  old  king  to  drive 
the  strangers  from  the  country.  He  resisted  as  long  as  he  could, 
but  finding  his  opposition  unavailing,  finally  gave  way  and  re- 
treated to  his  retirement. 

The  Gates  of  Janus  opened.  —  It  was  the  custom  of  the  coun- 
try, when  war  was  to  be  undertaken,  for  the  chief  magistrate,  clad 
in  his  robes  of  office,  with  solemn  pomp  to  open  the  gates  of  the 
tpmple  of  Janus,  which  were  kept  shut  as  long  as  peace  endured. 
His  people  now  urged  the  old  king  to  perform  that  solemn  office, 


356 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


but  he  refused  to  do  so.  While  they  contested,  Juno  herself, 
descending  from  the  skies,  smote  the  doors  with  irresistible  force, 
and  burst  them  open.  Immediately  the  whole  country  was  in  a 
flame.  The  people  rushed  from  every  side  breathing  nothing  but 
war. 

Turnus  was  recognized  by  all  as  leader ;  others  joined  as  allies, 
chief  of  whom  was  Mezentius,  a  brave  and  able  soldier,  but  of 
detestable  cruelty.  He  had  been  the  chief  of  one  of  the  neighbor- 
ing cities,  but  his  people  drove  hiin  out.  With  him  was  joined 
his  son  Lausus,  a  generous  youth  worthy  of  a  better  sire. 

Camilla.  —  Camilla,  the  favorite  of  Diana,  a  huntress  and  war- 
rior, after  the  fashion  of  the  Amazons,  came  with  her  band  of 
mounted  followers,  including  a  select  num- 
ber of  her  own  sex,  and  ranged  herself 
on  the  side  of  Turnus.  This  maiden  had 
never  accustomed  her  fingers  to  the  dis- 
taff or  the  loom,  but  had  learned  to 
endure  the  toils  of  war,  and  in  speed 
to  outstrip  the  wind.  It  seemed  as  if 
she  might  run  over  the  standing  corn 
without  crushing  it,  or  over  the  surface  of 
the  water  without  dipping  her  feet.  Ca- 
milla's history  had  been  singular  from 
the  beginning.  Her  father,  Metabus, 
driven  from  his  city  by  civil  discord,  car- 
ried with  him  in  his  flight  his  infant 
daughter.  As  he  fled  through  the  woods, 
his  enemies  in  hot  pursuit,  he  reached 
the  bank  of  the  river  Amasenus,  which, 
swelled  by  rains,  seemed  to  debar  a  pas- 
sage. He  paused  for  a  moment,  then  decided  what  to  do.  He 
tied  the  infant  to  his  lance  with  wrappers  of  bark,  and  poising  the 
weapon  in  his  upraised  hand,  thus  addressed  Diana :  "  Goddess 
of  the  woods  !  I  consecrate  this  maid  to  thee ; "  then  hurled  the 
weapon  with  its  burden  to  the  opposite  bank.     The  spear  flew 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND  LATINS.        357 

across  the  roaring  water.  His  pursuers  were  already  upon  him, 
but  he  plunged  into  the  river  and  swam  across,  and  found  the 
spear,  with  the  infant  safe  on  the  other  side.  Thenceforth  he 
lived  among  the  shepherds  and  brought  up  his  daughter  in  wood- 
land arts.  While  a  child  she  was  taught  to  use  the  bow  and  throw 
the  javelin.  W^ith  her  sling  she  could  bring  down  the  crane  or  the 
wild  swan.  Her  dress  was  a  tiger's  skin.  Many  mothers  sought 
her  for  a  daughter-in-law,  but  she  continued  faithful  to  Diana 
and  repelled  the  thought  of  marriage. 

Alliance  with  Evander.  —  Such  were  the  formidable  allies  that 
ranged  themselves  against  ^-Eneas.  It  was  night  and  he  lay 
stretched  in  sleep  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  under  the  open 
heavens.  The  god  of  the  stream.  Father  Tiber,  seemed  to  raise 
his  head  above  the  willows  and  to  say,  "O- goddess-born,  destined 
possessor  of  the  Latin  realms,  this  is  the  promised  land,  here  is  to 
be  thy  home,  here  shall  terminate  the  hostility  of  the  heavenly 
powers,  if  only  thou  faithfully  persevere.  There  are  friends  not 
far  distant.  Prepare  thy  boats  and  row  up  my  stream  ;  I  will 
lead  thee  to  Evander  the  Arcadian  chief.  He  has  long  been  at 
strife  with  Turnus  and  the  Rutulians,  and  is  prepared  to  become 
an  ally  of  thine.  Rise  !  offer  thy  vows  to  Juno,  and  deprecate 
her  anger.  ^Vhen  thou  hast  achieved  thy  victory  then  think  of 
me."  iEneas  woke  and  paid  immediate  obedience  to  the  friendly 
vision.  He  sacrificed  to  Juno,  and  invoked  the  god  of  the  river 
and  all  his  tributary  fountains  to  lend  their  aid.  Then  for  the 
first  time  a  vessel  filled  with  armed  warriors  floated  on  the  stream 
of  the  Tiber.  The  river  smoothed  its  waves,  and  bade  its  current 
flow  gently,  while,  impelled  by  the  vigorous  strokes  of  the  rowers, 
the  vessel  shot  rapidly  up  the  stream. 

About  the  middle  of  the  day  they  came  in  sight  of  the  scattered 
buildings  of  the  infant  town  where  in  after  times  the  proud  city  of 
Rome  grew,  whose  glory  reached  the  skies.  By  chance  the  old 
king,  Evander,  was  that  day  celebrating  annual  solemnities  in 
honor  of  Hercules  and  all  the  gods.  Pallas,  his  son,  and  all  the 
chiefs  of  the  little  commonwealth  stood  by.     When  they  saw  the 


358  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

tall  ship  gliding  onward  through  the  wood,  they  were  alarmed  at 
the  sight,  and  rose  from  the  tables.  But  Pallas  forbade  the  solem- 
nities to  be  interrupted,  and  seizing  a  weapon,  stepped  forward  to 
the  river's  bank.  He  called  aloud,  demanding  who  they  were, 
and  what  their  object,  ^neas,  holding  forth  an  olive-branch,  re- 
plied, "  We  are  Trojans,  friends  to  you  and  enemies  to  the  Rutul- 
ians.  We  seek  Evander  and  offer  to  join  our  arms  with  yours." 
Pallas,  in  amaze  at  the  sound  of  so  great  a  name,  invited  them  to 
land,  and  when  ^neas  touched  the  shore  he  seized  his  hand,  and 
held  it  long  in  friendly  grasp.  Proceeding  through  the  wood  they 
joined  the  king  and  his  party,  and  were  most  favorably  received. 
Seats  were  provided  for  them  at  the  tables,  and  the  repast  pro- 
ceeded. 

Infant  Rome. — When  the  solemnities  were  ended  all  moved 
towards  the  city.  The  king,  bending  with  age,  walked  between 
his  son  and  ^neas,  taking  the  arm  of  one  or  the  other  of  them, 
and  with  much  variety  of  pleasing  talk  shortening  the  way. 
iEneas  with  delight  looked  and  listened,  observing  all  the  beauties 
of  the  scene,  and  learning  much  of  heroes  renowned  in  ancient 
times.  Evander  said,  "  These  extensive  groves  were  once  in- 
habited by  fauns  and  nymphs,  and  a  rude  race  of  men  who  sprang 
from  the  trees  themselves,  and  had  neither  laws  nor  social  culture. 
They  knew  not  how  to  yoke  the  cattle  nor  raise  a  harvest,  nor  pro- 
vide from  present  abundance  for  future  want ;  but  browsed  like 
beasts  upon  the  leafy  boughs,  or  fed  voraciously  on  their  hunted 
prey.  Such  were  they  when  Saturn,  expelled  from  Olympus  by 
his  sons,  came  among  them  and  drew  together  the  fierce  savages, 
formed  them  into  society,  and  gave  them  laws.  Such  peace  and 
plenty  ensued  that  men  ever  since  have  called  his  reign  the  golden 
age  ;  but  by  degrees  far  other  times  succeeded,  and  the  thirst  of 
gold  and  the  thirst  of  blood  prevailed.  The  land  was  a  prey  to 
successive  tyrants,  till  fortune  and  resistless  destiny  brought  me 
hither,  an  exile  from  my  native  land,  Arcadia." 

Having  thus  said,  he  showed  him  the  Tarpeian  rock,  and  the 
rude  spot  then  overgrown  with  bushes  where  in  after  times  the 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND   LATINS.       359 

Capitol  was  to  rise  in  all  its  magnificence.  He  next  pointed  to 
some  dismantled  walls,  and  said,  "  Here  stood  Janiculum,  built  by 
Janus,  and  there  Satumia,  the  town  of  Saturn."  Such  discourse 
brought  them  to  the  cottage  of  poor  Evander,  whence  they  saw 
the  lowing  herds  roaming  over  the  plain  where  soon  should  stand 
the  proud  and  stately  Forum.  They  entered,  and  a  couch,  well 
stuffed  with  leaves  and  covered  with  the  skin  of  a  Libyan  bear,  was 
spread  for  yEneas. 

Next  morning,  awakened  by  the  dawn  and  the  shrill  song  of 
birds  beneath  the  eaves  of  his  low  mansion,  old  Evander  rose. 
Clad  in  a  tunic,  and  a  panther's  skin  thrown  over  his  shoulders, 
with  sandals  on  his  feet,  and  his  good  sword  girded  to  his  side,  he 
went  forth  to  seek  his  guest.  Two  mastiffs  followed  him,  his 
whole  retinue  and  body-guard.  He  found  the  hero  attended  by 
his  faithful  Achates,  and,  Pallas  soon  joining  them,  the  old  king 
spoke  thus  :  — 

"  Illustrious  Trojan,  it  is  but  little  we  can  do  in  so  great  a  cause. 
Our  state  is  feeble,  hemmed  in  on  one  side  by  the  river,  on  the 
other  by  the  Rutulians.  But  I  propose  to  ally  thee  with  a  people 
numerous  and  rich,  to  whom  fate  has  brought  thee  at  the  propitious 
moment.  The  Etruscans  hold  the  country  beyond  the  river. 
Mezentius  was  their  king,  a  monster  of  cruelty,  who  invented  un- 
heard-of torments  to  gratify  his  vengeance.  He  ^ould  fasten  the 
dead  to  the  living,  hand  to  hand  and  face  to  face,  and  leave  the 
wretched  victims  to  die  in  that  dreadful  embrace.  At  length 
people  cast  him  out,  him  and  his  house.  They  burned  his  palace 
and  slew  his  friends.  He  escaped  and  took  refuge  with  Tumus, 
who  protects  him  with  arms.  The  Etruscans  demand  that  he  shall 
be  given  up  to  deserved  punishment,  and  would  ere  now  have  at- 
tempted to  enforce  their  demand  ;  but  their  priests  restrain  them, 
telling  them  that  it  is  the  will  of  heaven  that  no  native  of  the  land 
shall  guide  thetn  to  victory,  and  that  their  destined  leader  must 
come  from  across  the  sea.  They  have  offered  the  crown  to  me, 
but  I  am  too  old  to  undertake  such  great  affairs,  and  my  son  is 
native-bom,  which  precludes  him  from  the  choice.     Thou,  equally 


360  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATUKE. 

by  birth  and  time  of  life,  and  fame  in  arms,  pointed  out  by  the 
gods,  hast  but  to  appear  to  be  hailed  at  once  as  their  leader. 
With  thee  I  will  join  Pallas,  my  son,  my  only  hope  and  comfort. 
Under  thee  he  shall  learn  the  art  of  war,  and  strive  to  emulate  thy 
great  exploits." 

Then  the  king  ordered  horses  to  be  furnished  for  the  Trojan 
chiefs,  and  ^neas,  with  a  chosen  band  of  followers  and  Pallas  ac- 
companying, mounted  and  took  the  way  to  the  Etruscan  city,' 
having  sent  back  the  rest  of  his  party  in  the  ships.  .'Eneas  and 
his  band  safely  arrived  at  the  Etruscan  camp,  and  were  received 
with  open  arms  by  Tarchon  and  his  countrymen. 

Turnus  attacks  the  Trojan  Camp.  —  In  the  meanwhile  Turnus 
had  collected  his  bands,  and  made  all  necessary  preparations  for 
the  war.  Juno  sent  Iris  to  him  with  a  message  inciting  him  to 
take  advantage  of  the  absence  of  ^neas  and  surprise  the  Trojan 
camp.  Accordingly  the  attempt  was  made  ;  but  the  Trojans  were 
found  on  their  guard,  and  having  received  strict  orders  from 
^neas  not  to  fight  in  his  absence,  they  lay  still  in  their  intrench- 
ments,  and  resisted  all  the  efforts  of  the  Rutulians  to  draw  them 
into  the  field.  Night  coming  on,  the  army  of  Turnus,  in  high 
spirits  at  their  fancied  superiority,  feasted  and  enjoyed  themselves, 
and  finally  stretched  themselves  on  the  field  and  slept  secure. 

Nisus  and  Eu^alus.  —  In  the  camp  of  the  Trojans  things  were 
far  otherwise.  There  all  was  watchfulness  and  anxiety,  and  impa- 
tience for  .(Eneas'  return.  Nisus  stood  guard  at  the  entrance  of 
the  camp,  and  Eui-yalus,  a  youth  distinguished  above  all  in  the 
army  for  graces  of  person  and  fine  qualities,  was  with  him.  These 
two  were  friends  and  brothers  in  arms.  Nisus  said  to  his  friend, 
"  Dost  thou  perceive  what  confidence  and  carelessness  the  enemy 
display?  Their  lights  are  few  and  dim,  and  the  men  seem  all 
oppressed  with  wine  or  sleep.  Thou  knowest  how  anxiously  our 
chiefs  wish  to  send  to  ^neas,  and  to  get  intelligence  from  him. 

1  The  poet  here  inserts  a  famous  line  which  is  thought  to  imitate  in  its  sound 
the  galloping  of  horses : — Quaclrupedante  putrem  sonitu  quatit  ungula  campum. 
—  ^n.  8 :  596. 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND  LATINS.        361 

Now  I  am  strongly  moved  to  make  my  way  through  the  enemy's 
camp  and  to  go  in  search  of  our  chief.  If  1  succeed,  the  glory 
of  the  deed  will  be  reward  enough  for  me,  and  if  they  judge  the 
service  deserves  anything  more,  let  them  pay  it  thee." 

Euryalus,  all  on  fire  with  the  love  of  adventure,  replied,  *'  Wouldst 
thou  then,  Nisus,  refuse  to  share  thy  enterprise  with  me?  And 
shall  I  let  thee  go  into  such  danger  alone  ?  Not  so  my  brave  father 
brought  me  up,  nor  so  have  I  planned  for  myself  when  I  joined 
the  standard  of  iEneas,  and  resolved  to  hold  my  life  cheap  in  com- 
parison with  honor."  Nisus  replied,  "  I  doubt  it  not,  my  friend ; 
but  thou  knowest  the  uncertain  event  of  such  an  undertaking,  and 
whatever  may  happen  to  me,  I  wish  thee  to  be  safe.  Thou  art 
younger  than  I  and  hast  more  of  life  in  prospect.  Nor  can  I  be 
the  cause  of  such  grief  to  thy  mother,  who  has  chosen  to  be  here 
in  the  camp  with  thee  rather  than  stay  and  live  in  peace  with  the 
other  matrons  in  Acestes'  city."  Euryalus  replied,  "  Say  no  more. 
In  vain  dost  thou  seek  arguments  to  dissuade  me.  I  am  fixed  in  the 
resolution  to  go  with  thee.  Let  us  lose  no  time."  They  called  the 
guard,  and  committing  the  watch  to  them,  sought  the  general's 
tent.  They  found  the  chief  officers  in  consultation,  deliberating 
how  they  should  send  notice  to  ^neas  of  their  situation.  The 
offer  of  the  two  friends  was  gladly  accepted,  themselves  loaded 
with  praises  and  promised  the  most  liberal  rewards  in  case  of  suc- 
cess, lulus  especially  addressed  Euryalus,  assuring  him  of  his 
lasting  friendship.  Euryalus  replied,  "  I  have  but  one  boon  to 
ask.  My  aged  mother  is  with  me  in  the  camp.  For  me  she  left 
the  Trojan  soil,  and  would  not  stay  behind  with  the  other  matrons 
at  the  city  of  Acestes.  I  go  now  without  taking  leave  of  her.  I 
could  not  bear  her  tears  nor  set  at  nought  her  entreaties.  But  do 
thou,  I  beseech  thee,  comfort  her  in  her  distress.  Promise  me  that 
and  I  shall  go  more  boldly  into  whatever  dangers  may  present 
themselves."  lulus  and  the  other  chiefs  were  moved  to  tears,  and 
promised  to  do  all  his  request.  "Thy  mother  shall  be  mine," 
said  lulus,  "and  all  that  I  have  promised  thee  shall  be  made 
good  to  her,  if  thou  dost  not  return  to  receive  it." 


362  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

The  two  friends  left  the  camp  and  plunged  at  once  into  the 
midst  of  the  enemy.  They  found  no  watch,  no  sentinels  posted, 
but,  all  about,  the  sleeping  soldiers  strewn  on  the  grass  and  among 
the  wagons.  The  laws  of  war  at  that  early  day  did  not  forbid  a 
brave  man  to  slay  a  sleeping  foe,  and  the  two  Trojans  slew,  as  they 
passed,  such  of  the  enemy  as  they  could  without  exciting  alarm. 
In  one  tent  Euryalus  made  prize  of  a  helmet  brilliant  with  gold 
and  plumes.  They  had  passed  through  the  enemy's  ranks  without 
being  discovered,  but  now  suddenly  appeared  a  troop  directly  in 
front  of  them,  which,  under  Volscens,  their  leader,  were  approach- 
ing the  camp.  The  glittering  helmet  of  Euryalus  caught  their 
attention,  and  Volscens  hailed  the  two,  and  demanded  who  and 
whence  they  were.  They  made  no  answer,  but  plunged  into  the 
wood.  The  horsemen  scattered  in  all  directions  to  intercept  their 
flight.  Nisus  had  eluded  pursuit  and  was  out  of  danger,  but  Eury- 
alus being  missing  he  turned  back  to  seek  him.  He  again  entered 
the  wood  and  soon  came  within  sound  of  voices.  Looking  through 
the  thicket  he  saw  the  whole  band  surrounding  Euryalus  with  noisy 
questions.  What  should  he  do  !  how  extricate  the  youth  !  or 
would  it  be  better  to  die  with  him? 

Raising  his  eyes  to  the  moon  which  now  shone  clear,  he  said, 
"Goddess,  favor  my  effort !  "  and  aiming  his  javelin  at  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  troop,  struck  him  in  the  back  and  stretched  him  on 
the  plain  with  a  death-blow.  In  the  midst  of  their  amazement 
another  weapon  flew  and  another  of  the  party  fell  dead.  Volscens, 
the  leader,  ignorant  whence  the  darts  came,  rushed  sword  in  hand 
upon  Euryalus.  "Thou  shalt  pay  the  penalty  "of  both,"  he  said, 
and  would  have  plunged  the  sword  into  his  bosom,  when  Nisus, 
who  from  his  concealment  saw  the  peril  of  his  friend,  rushed  for- 
ward exclaiming,  "  'Twas  I,  'twas  I ;  turn  your  swords  against  me, 
Rutulians  ;  I  did  it ;  he  only  followed  me  as  a  friend."  While  he 
spoke  the  sword  fell,  and  pierced  the  comely  bosom  of  Euryalus. 
His  head  fell  over  on  his  shoulder,  like  a  flower  cut  down  by  the 
plough.  Nisus  rushed  upon  Volscens  and  plunged  his  sword  into 
his  body,  and  was  himself  slain  on  the  instant  by  numberless  blows. 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND  LATINS.        363 

The  Death  of  Mezentius.  —  yEneas,  with  his  Etrurian  allies, 
arrived  on  the  scene  of  action  in  time  to  rescue  his  beleaguered 
camp ;  and  now  the  two  armies  being  nearly  equal  in  strength,  the 
war  began  in  good  earnest.  We  cannot  find  space  for  all  the 
details,  but  must  simply  record  the  fate  of  the  principal  char- 
acters. The  tyrant  Mezentius,  finding  himself  engaged  against 
his  revolted  subjects,  raged  like  a  wild  beast.  He  slew  all 
who  dared  withstand  him,  and  put  the  multitude  to  flight  wher- 
ever he  appeared.  At  last  he  encountered  ^neas,  and  the 
armies  stood  still  to  see  the  issue.  Mezentius  threw  his  spear, 
which  striking  Eneas'  shield  glanced  off  and  hit  Antores, — 
a  Grecian  by  birth  who  had  left  Argos,  his  native  city,  and 
followed  Evander  into  Italy.  The  poet  says  of  him  with  sim- 
ple pathos  which  has  made  the  words  proverbial,  "  He  fell,  un- 
happy, by  a  wound  intentled  for  another,  looked  up  to  the  skies, 
and,  dying,  remembered  sweet  Argos."  '  ^Eneas  now  in  turn  hurled 
his  lance.  It  pierced  the  shield  of  Mezentius,  and  wounded  him 
in  the  thigh.  Lausus,  his  son,  could  not  bear  the  sight,  but  rushed 
forward  and  interposed  himself,  while  the  followers  pressed  round 
Mezentius  and  bore  him  away.  vEneas  held  his  sword  suspended 
over  Lausus  and  delayed  to  strike,  but  the  furious  youth  pressed 
on  and  he  was  compelled  to  deal  the  fatal  blow.  Lausus  fell,  and 
^neas  bent  over  him  in  pity.  "  Hapless  youth,"  he  said,  "  what 
can  I  do  for  thee  worthy  of  thy  praise?  Keep  those  arms  in 
which  thou  gloriest,  and  fear  not  but  that  thy  body  shall  be  restored 
to  thy  friends,  and  have  due  funeral  honors."  So  saying  he  called 
the  timid  followers  and  delivered  the  body  into  their  hands. 

Mezentius  meanwhile  had  been  borne  to  the  river-side,  and  had 
washed  his  wound.  Soon  the  news  reached  him  of  Lausus*  death, 
and  rage  and  despair  supplied  the  place  of  strength.  He  mounted 
his  horse  and  dashed  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight,  seeking  ^neas. 
Having  found  him,  he  rode  round  him  in  a  circle,  throwing  one 
javelin  after  another,  while  ^neas  stood  fenced  with  his  shield, 

1  Stemitur  infelix  alieno  volnere,  caelumque 
Aspicit,  et  dulcis  moriens  reminiscitur  Argos.  —  ^-En.  lo :  781, 


364  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

turning  every  way  to  meet  them.  At  last  after  Mezentius  had 
three  times  made  the  circuit,  ^Eneas  threw  his  lance  directly  at 
the  horse's  head.  The  animal  fell  with  pierced  temples,  while  a 
shout  from  both  armies  rent  the  skies.  Mezentius  asked  no 
mercy,  but  only  that  his  body  might  be  spared  the  insults  of  his 
revolted  subjects,  and  be  buried  in  the  same  grave  with  his  son. 
He  received  the  fatal  stroke  not  unprepared,  and  poured  out  his 
life  and  his  blood  together. 

Of  Pallas.  —  While  these  things  were  doing  in  one  part  of  the 
field,  in  another  Turnus  encountered  the  youthful  Pallas.  The 
contest  between  champions  so  unequally  matched  could  not  be 
doubtful.  Pallas  bore  himself  bravely,  but  fell  by  the  lance  of 
Turnus.  The  victor  almost  relented  when  he  saw  the  brave  youth 
lying  dead  at  his  feet,  and  spared  to  use  the  privilege  of  a  conqueror 
in  despoiling  him  of  his  arms.  The  belt  only,  adorned  with  studs 
and  carvings  of  gold,  he  took  and  clasped  round  his  own  body. 
The  rest  he  remitted  to  the  friends  of  the  slain. 

Of  Camilla.  —  After  the  battle  there  was  a  cessation  of  arms  for 
some  days  to  allow  both  armies  to  bury  their  dead.  In  this  inter- 
val yEneas  challenged  Turnus  to  decide  the  contest  by  single  com- 
bat, but  Turnus  evaded  the  challenge.  Another  battle  ensued,  in 
which  Camilla,  the  virgin  warrior,  was  chiefly  conspicuous.  Her 
deeds  of  valor  surpassed  those  of  the  bravest  warriors,  and  many 
Trojans  and  Etruscans  fell  pierced  with  her  darts  or  struck  down 
by  her  battle-axe.  At  last  an  Etruscan  named  Aruns,  who  had 
watched  her  long,  seeking  for  some  advantage,  observed  her 
pursuing  a  flying  enemy  whose  splendid  armor  offered  a  tempting 
prize.  Intent  on  the  chase  she  observed  not  her  danger,  and  the 
javelin  of  Aruns  struck  her  and  inflicted  a  fatal  wound.  She  fell 
and  breathed  her  last  in  the  arms  of  her  attendant  maidens.  But 
Diana,  who  beheld  her  fate,  suffered  not  her  slaughter  to  be 
unavenged.  Aruns,  as  he  stole  away,  glad  but  frightened,  was 
struck  by  a  secret  arrow,  launched  by  one  of  the  nymphs  of  Diana's 
train,  and  he  died  ignobly  and  unknown. 

The  Final  Conflict.  —  At   length   the  final  conflict   took   place 


THE    WAR  BETWEEN   TROJANS  AND  LATINS.        365 

between  yEneas  and  Turaus.  Turnus  had  avoided  the  contest  as 
long  as  he  could  ;  but  at  last  impelled  by  the  ill  success  of  his  arms, 
and  by  the  murmurs  of  his  followers,  he  braced  himself  to  the  con- 
flict. The  outcome  could  not  be  doubtful.  On  the  side  of  /Eneas 
were  the  expressed  decree  of  destiny,  the  aid  of  his  goddess-mother 
in  every  emergency,  and  impenetrable  armor  fabricated  by  Vulcan, 
at  her  request,  for  her  son.  Turnus,  on  the  other  hand,  was  deserted 
by  his  celestial  allies,  Juno  having  been  expressly  forbidden  by 
Jupiter  to  assist  him  any  longer.  Turnus  threw  his  lance,  but  it 
recoiled  harmless  from  the  shield  of  .-Eneas.  The  Trojan  hero 
then  threw  his,  which  penetrating  the  shield  of  Turnus  pierced  his 
thigh.  Then  Turnus'  fortitude  forsook  him,  and  he  begged  for 
mercy  ;  .4<2neas,  indeed,  would  have  spared  his  opponent's  life,  but 
at  the  instant  his  eye  fell  on  the  belt  of  Pallas,  which  Turnus  had 
taken  from  the  slaughtered  youth.  Instantly  his  rage  revived,  and 
exclaiming,  "  Pallas  immolates  thee  with  this  blow,"  he  thrust  him 
through  with  his  sword. 

Here  the  poem  of  the  .^Eneid  closes,  and  we  are  left  to  infer  that 
^neas,  having  triumphed  over  his  foes,  obtained  Lavinia  for  his 
bride.  Tradition  adds  that  he  founded  a  city  and  called  it  Lavin- 
ium,  after  her  name.  His  son  lulus  founded  Alba  Longa,  which 
became  the  birthplace  of  Romulus  and  Remus  and  the  cradle  of 
Rome. 


366  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

MYTHS  OF  THE  NORSE  GODS.i 

§  177.  The  Creation.  —  According  to  the  Eddas  there  was 
once  no  heaven  above  nor  earth  beneath,  but  only  a  bottomless 
deep,  Ginungagap,  and  a  world  of  mist,  Niflheim,  in  which  sprang 
a  fountain.  Twelve  rivers  issued  from  this  fountain,  Vergelmer, 
and  when  they  had  flowed  far  from  their  source,  they  froze  into 
ice,  and  one  layer  accumulating  over  another,  the  great  deep  was 
filled  up. 

Southward  from  the  world  of  mist  was  the  world  of  light, 
Muspelheim.  From  this  proceeded  a  warm  wind  upon  the  ice  and 
melted  it.  The  vapors  rose  in  the  air  and  formed  clouds,  from 
which  sprang  Ymir,  the  Frost  giant  and  his  progeny,  and  the  cow 
Audhumbla,  whose  milk  afforded  nourishment  and  food  to  the 
giant.  The  cow  got  nourishment  by  licking  the  hoar  frost  and 
salt  from  the  ice.  While  she  was  one  day  licking  the  salt  stones 
there  appeared  at  first  the  hair  of  some  being,  on  the  second  day 
his  whole  head,  and  on  the  third  the  entire  form  endowed  with 
beauty,  agility,  and  power.  This  new  being  was  a  god,  Bori,  from 
whom  and  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  the  giant  race,  sprang  Bor,  the 
father  of  Odin,  Vili,  and  Ve.  They  slew  the  giant  Ymir,  and  out 
of  his  body  formed  the  earth,  of  his  blood  the  seas,  of  his  bones 
the  mountains,  of  his  hair  the  trees,  of  his  skull  the  heavens,  and 
of  his  brain  clouds,  charged  with  hail  and  snow.  Of  Ymir's 
eyebrows  the  gods  built  a  fence  around  this  Midgard  or  mid-earth 
between  Nilfleim  and  Muspelheim,  destined  to  become  the  abode 
of  man. 

Odin  then  regulated  the  periods  of  day  and  night  and  the 

»  For  Records  of  Norse  Mythology  see  ^  13  and  Commentary. 


MYTHS   OF  THE  NORSE    GODS.  367 

seasons  by  placing  in  the  heavens  the  sun  and  moon,  and 
appointing  to  them  their  respective  courses.  As  soon  as  the  sun 
"began  to  shed  its  rays  upon  the  earth,  it  caused  the  vegetable 
world  to  bud  and  sprout.  Shortly  after  the  gods  (the  Anse-race, 
Anses,  Aesir,  or  Asa-folk)  had  created  the  world,  they  walked  by 
the  side  of  the  sea,  pleased  with  their  new  work,  but  found  that 
it  was  still  incomplete,  for  it  was  without  human  beings.  They 
therefore  took  an  ashen  spar  and  made  a  man  out  of  it ;  woman 
they  made  out  of  a  piece  of  alder ;  and  they  called  the  man  Ash 
and  the  woman  Embla.  Odin  then  gave  them  life  and  soul,  Vili 
reason  and  motion,  and  Ve  bestowed  upon  them  the  senses, 
expressive  features,  and  speech.  Midgard  was  then  given  them 
as  their  residence,  and  they  became  the  progenitors  of  the  human 
race. 

Yggdrasil.  —  The  mighty  ash  tree  Yggdrasil  was  supposed  to  sup- 
port the  whole  universe.  It  sprang  from  the  body  of  Ymir,  —  this 
earth,  —  and  had  three  immense  roots,  extending  one  into  Asgard 
(the  dwelling  of  the  gods),  the  other  into  Jotunheim  (the  abode  of 
the  giants),  and  the  third  to  Niflheim  (the  region  of  darkness  and 
cold).  By  the  side  of  each  of  these  roots  is  a  spring,  from  which 
it  is  watered.  The  root  that  extends  into  Asgard  is  carefully 
tended  by  the  three  Norns,  —  goddesses  who  are  regarded  as  the 
dispensers  of  fate.  They  are  Urdur  (the  past),  Verdandi  (the 
present),  Skuld  (the  future).  The  spring  at  the  Jotunheim  side 
is  Mimir's  well,  in  which  wisdom  and  wit  lie  hidden,  but  that  of 
Niflheim  feeds  the  adder,  Nidhogge  (darkness),  which  perpetually 
gnaws  at  the  root  Four  harts  run  across  the  branches  of  the  tree 
and  bite  the  buds ;  they  represent  the  four  winds.  Under  the 
tree  lies  Ymir,  and  when  he  tries  to  shake  off  its  weight  the  earth 
quakes. 

§  1 78.  Odin  and  his  Valhalla.  —  To  Asgard,  the  abode  of  the 
gods,  access  is  gained  only  by  crossing  the  bridge,  Bifrost  (the 
rainbow).  Asgard  —  Gladsheim  for  the  gods,  Vingolf  for  the 
goddesses  —  consists  of  golden  and  silver  palaces  ;  but  the  most 
beautiful  of  these  is  Valhalla,  the  great  hall  of  Odin.     When  seated 


368  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

on  his  throne  he  overlooks  heaven  and  earth.  Beside  him  sits 
Frigga,  his  wife,  who  knows  all  things.  Upon  his  shoulders  are 
the  ravens  Hugin  and  Munin,  —  Thought  and  Memory,  —  who  fly 
every  day  over  the  whole  world,  and  on  their  return  report  to  him 
what  they  have  seen  and  heard.  At  his  feet  lie  his  two  wolves,  Geri 
and  Freki,  to  whom  Odin  gives  the  meat  that  is  set  before  him, 
for  he  himself  stands  in  no  need  of  food.  Mead  is  for  him  both 
food  and  drink.  He  invented  the  Runic  characters  ;  the  decrees 
of  fate,  inscribed  therein,  it  is  the  business  of  the  Norns  to  engrave 
upon  a  metal  shield.  From  Odin's  name,  spelt  Woden,  as  it  some- 
times is,  comes  Wednesday. 

Odin  is  frequently  called  Alfadur  (All-father),  but  this  name  is 
sometimes  used  in  a  way  that  shows  that  the  Scandinavians  had 
an  idea  of  a  deity  superior  to  Odin,  uncreated  and  eternal.  In 
Valhalla  Odin  feasts  with  his  chosen  heroes,  all  those  who  have 
fallen  bravely  in  battle,  for  all  who  die  a  peaceful  death  are 
excluded.  The  flesh  of  the  boar  Serimnir  is  served  up  to  them, 
and  is  abundant  for  all.  For  although  this  boar  is  cooked  every 
morning,  he  becomes  whole  again  every  night.  For  drink  the 
heroes  are  supplied  abundantly  with  mead  from  the  she-goat 
Heidrun.  When  the  heroes  are  not  feasting  they  amuse  them- 
selves with  fighting.  Every  day  they  ride  out  into  the  court  or 
field  and  fight  until  they  cut  each  other  in  pieces.  This  is  their 
pastime  ;  but  when  meal  time  comes,  they  recover  from  their 
wounds  and  return  to  feast  in  Valhalla. 

The  Vallqrries. — The  Valkyries  are  warlike  virgins,  mounted 
upon  horses  and  armed  with  helmets,  shields,  and  spears.  Odin 
is  desirous  of  gathering  many  heroes  in  Valhalla  that  he  may 
gloriously  meet  the  giants  in  the  day  of  the  final  contest ;  he  there- 
fore sends  to  every  battle-field  for  the  bravest  of  those  who  shall 
be  slain.  The  Valkyries,  Choosers  of  the  Slain,  are  his  messengers. 
When  they  ride  forth  on  their  errand,  their  armor  sheds  a  weird 
flickering  light  over  the  northern  skies,  making  what  men  call  the 
Aurora  Borealis.* 

1  Gray's  ode,  The  Fata!  Sisters,  is  founded  on  this  superstition. 


MYTHS   OF   THE   NORSE    GODS.  369 

§  179.  The  Other  Gods. — Thor,  the  thunderer,  Odin's  eldest 
son,  is  the  strongest  of  gods  and  men,  and  possesses  three  precious 
things.  The  first  is  a  hammer,  which  both  the  Frost  and  the 
Mountain  giants  (Hrim-thursar  and  Berg-risar)  know  to  their  cost, 
when  they  see  it  hurled  against  them  in  the  air,  for  it  has  spHt 
many  a  skull  of  their  fathers  and  kindred.  When  thrown,  it 
returns  to  his  hand  of  its  own  accord.  The  second  rare  thing 
he  possesses  is  the  belt  of  strength.  When  he  girds  it  about 
him  his  divine  might  is  doubled.  The  third  is  his  iron  gloves, 
which  he  puts  on  whenever  he  would  use  his  mallet  efficiently. 
From  Thor's  name  is  derived  our  word  Thursday.  Vithar  comes 
next  in  strength  to  Thor. 

Fre3rr  presides  over  rain  and  sunshine  and  all  the  fruits  of  the 
earth.  His  sister  Freya  is  the  most  propitious  of  the  goddesses. 
She  loves  music,  spring,  and  flowers,  and  the  fairies  of  Elfheim. 
She  is  the  goddess  of  love.     Her  day  is  Friday.   • 

Bragi  is  the  god  of  poetry,  and  his  song  records  the  deeds  of 
warriors.  His  wife,  Iduna,  keeps  in  a  box  the  apples  which  the 
gods,  when  they  feel  old  age  approaching,  have  only  to  taste  of  to 
become  young  again. 

Tyr,  or  Ziu,  from  whose  name  is  derived  our  Tuesday,  is  the 
wrestler  among  the  gods ;  and  preeminently  the  "  god  of  battles." 

Balder,  dearest  of  the  Anses,  is  the  god  of  sunlight,  spring, 
and  gladness.     Hoder,  his  opposite,  is  the  blind  god  of  winter. 

Heimdall  is  the  watchman  of  the  gods,  and  is  therefore  placed 
on  the  borders  of  heaven  to  prevent  the  giants  from  forcing  their 
way  over  the  bridge  Bifrost.  He  requires  less  sleep  than  a  bird, 
and  sees  by  night  as  well  as  by  day  a  hundred  miles  around  him. 
So  acute  is  his  ear  that  no  sound  escapes  him,  for  he  can  even 
hear  the  grass  grow,  —  and  the  wool  on  a  sheep's  back. 

Loki  and  his  Progeny.  —  Loki  is  described  as  the  calumniator 
of  the  gods  and  the  contriver  of  all  fraud  and  mischief  He  is  the 
son  of  Farbanti,  the  Charon  of  Norse  mythology.  He  is  hand- 
some and  well  made,  but  of  fickle  mood  and  evil  disposition. 
Although  of  the  giant  race,  he  forced  himself  into  the  company  of 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISfl  LITERATURE. 

Is ;  and  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  bringing  them  into 
difificulties,  and  in  extricating  them  out  of  the  danger  by  his 
cunning,  wit,  and  skill.  Loki  has  three  children.  The  first  is  the 
wolf  Fenris,  the  second  the  Midgard  Serpent,  the  third  Hela 
(Death).  The  gods  were  not  ignorant  that  these  monsters  were 
maturing,  and  that  they  would  one  day  bring  much  evil  upon 
gods  and  men.  So  Odin  deemed  it  advisable  to  send  one  to 
bring  them  to  him.  When  they  came  he  threw  the  serpent  in 
that  deep  ocean  by  which  the  earth  is  surrounded.  But  the 
monster  has  grown  to  such  an  enormous  size  that  holding  his  tail 
in  his  mouth  he  encircles  the  whole  earth.  Hela  he  cast  into 
Niflheim,  and  gave  her  power  over  nine  worlds  or  regions,  in 
which  she  distributes  those  who  are  sent  to  her ;  that  is,  all  who 
die  of  sickness  or  old  age.  Her  hall  is  called  Elvidnir.  Hunger 
is  her  table,  Starvation  her  knife,  Delay  her  man,  Slowness  her 
maid,  Precipice  her  threshold,  Care  her  bed,  and  Burning- 
angufeh  forms  the  hangings  of  her  apartments.  She  may  easily  be 
recognized,  for  her  body  is  half  flesh  color  and  half  blue,  and  she 
presents  a  stern  and  forbidding  countenance. 

The  wolf  Fenris  gave  the  gods  a  great  deal  of  trouble  before 
they  succeeded  in  chaining  him.  He  broke  the  strongest  fetters 
as  if  they  were  made  of  cobwebs.  Finally  the  gods  sent  a 
messenger  to  the  mountain  spirits,  who  made  for  them  the  chain 
called  Gleipnir.  It  is  fashioned  of  six  things.:  the  noise  made 
by  the  footfall  of  a  cat,  the  beards  of  women,  the  roots  of  stones, 
the  breath  of  fishes,  the  nerves  (sensibilities)  of  bears,  and  the 
spittle  of  birds.  When  finished  it  was  as  smooth  and  soft  as  a 
silken  string.  But  when  the  gods  asked  the  wolf  to  suffer  himself 
to  be  bound  with  this  apparently  slight  ribbon,  he  suspected  their 
design,  fearing  that  it  was  made  by  enchantment.  He  therefore 
only  consented  to  be  bound  with  it  upon  condition  that  one  of  the 
gods  put  his  hand  in  his  (Fenris')  mouth  as  a  pledge  that  the 
band  was  to  be  removed  again.  Tyr  alone  had  courage  enough 
to  do  this.  But  when  the  wolf  found  that  he  could  not  break 
his  fetters,  and  that  the  gods  would  not  release  him,  he  bit  off 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  371 

Tyr's  hand.  Tyr,  consequently,  has  ever  since  remained  one- 
handed. 

§  1 80.  The  Deeds  of  Thor.  —  AVhen  the  gods  were  constructing 
their  abodes,  and  had  already  finished  Midgard  and  Valhalla,  a 
certain  artificer  came  and  offered  to  build  them  a  residence  so 
well  fortified  that  they  should  be  perfectly  safe  from  the  incursions 
of  the  Frost  giants  and  the  giants  of  the  mountains.  But  he 
demanded  for  his  reward  the  goddess  Freya,  together  with  the 
sun  and  moon.  The  gods  yielded  to  the  terms,  provided  that  the 
artificer  would  finish  the  whole  work  without  any  one's  assist- 
ance, and  all  within  the  space  of  one  winter.  But  if  anything 
remained  unfinished  on  the  first  day  of  summer,  he  should 
forfeit  the  recompense  agreed  on.  On  being  told  these  terms, 
the  artificer  stipulated  that  he  be  allowed  the  use  of  his  horse 
Svadilfari,  and  this  request  by  the  advice  of  Loki  was  conceded. 
He  accordingly  set  to  work  on  the  first  day  of  winter,  and 
during  the  night  let  his  horse  draw  stone  for  the  building.  The 
enormous  size  of  the  ■stones  struck  the  gods  with  astonishment, 
and  they  saw  clearly  that  the  horse  did  one  half  more  of  the  toil- 
some work  than  his  master.  Their  bargain,  however,  had  been 
concluded  and  confirmed  by  solemn  oaths,  for  without  these  pre- 
cautions a  giant  would  not  have  thought  himself  safe  among  the 
gods,  —  still  less,  indeed,  if  Thor  should  return  from  the  expedition 
he  had  then  undertaken  against  the  evil  demons. 

As  the  winter  drew  to  a  close,  the  building  was  far  advanced ; 
and  the  bulwarks  were  sufficiently  high  and  massive  to  render  the 
place  impregnable.  In  short,  when  it  wanted  but  three  days  to 
summer,  the  only  part  that  remained  to  be  finished  was  the  gate- 
way. Then  sat  the  gods  on  their  seats  of  justice,  and  entered 
into  consultation,  inquiring  of  one  another  who  among  them  could 
have  advised  the  rest  to  surrender  F^reya,  or  to  plunge  the  heavens 
in  darkness  by  permitting  the  giant  to  carry  away  the  sun  and  the 
moon. 

They  all  agreed  that  no  one  but  Loki,  the  author  of  so  many 
evil  deeds,  could  have  given  such  counsel,  and  that  he  snould 


372  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

be  put  to  a  cruel  death  unless  he  contrived  some  way  to  prevent 
the  artificer  from  completing  his  task  and  obtaining  the  stipulated 
recompense.  They  proceeded  to  lay  hands  on  Loki,  who  in  his 
fright  promised  upon  oath  that,  let  it  cost  him  what  it  might, 
he  would  so  manage  matters  that  the  man  should  lose  his  re- 
ward. That  night  when  the  man  went  with  Svadilfari  for  building- 
stone,  a  mare  suddenly  ran  out  of  a  forest  and  began  to  neigh. 
The  horse  thereat  broke  loose  and  ran  after  the  mare  into  the 
forest,  obliging  the  man  also  to  run  after  his  horse,  thus,  therefore, 
between  one  and  another  the  whole  night  was  lost,  so  that  at 
dawn  the  work  had  not  made  the  usual  progress.  The  man,  see- 
ing that  he  must  fail  of  completing  his  task,  resumed  his  own 
gigantic  stature ;  and  the  gods  now  clearly  perceived  that  it  was 
in  reality  a  mountain  giant  who  had  come  amongst  them.  Feeling 
no  longer  bound  by  their  oaths,  they  called  on  Thor,  who  imme- 
diately ran  to  their  assistance,  and  lifting  up  his  mallet,  paid  the 
workman  his  wages,  not  with  the  sun  and  moon,  and  not  even  by 
sending  him  back  to  Jotunheim,  for  with  the  first  blow  he  shat- 
tered the  giant's  skull  to  pieces,  and  hurled  him  headlong  into 
Niflheim. 

The  Recovery  of  the  Hammer.  —  Once  upon  a  time  it  happened 
that  Thor's  hammer  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  giant  Thrym, 
who  buried  it  eight  fathoms  deep  under  the  rocks  of  Jotunheim. 
Thor  sent  Loki  to  negotiate  with  Thrym,  but  he  could  only  prevail 
so  far  as  to  get  the  giant's  promise  to  restore  the  weapon  if  Freya 
would  consent  to  be  his  bride.  Loki  returned  and  reported 
the  result  of  his  mission,  but  the  goddess  of  love  was  horrified 
at  the  idea  of  bestowing  her  charms  on  the  king  of  the  Frost 
giants.  In  this  emergency  Loki  persuaded  Thor  to  dress  himself 
in  Freya's  clothes  and  accompany  him  to  Jotunheim.  Thrym 
received  his  veiled  bride  with  due  courtesy,  but  was  greatly  sur- 
prised at  seeing  her  eat  for  her  supper  eight  salmons  and  a  full- 
grown  ox  besides  other  delicacies,  washing  the  whole  down  with 
three  tuns  of  mead.  Loki,  however,  assured  him  that  she  had 
not  tasted  anything  for  eight  long  nights,  so  great  was  her  desire 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  373 

to  see  her  lover,  the  renowned  ruler  of  Jotunheim.  Thrym  had 
at  last  the  curiosity  to  peep  under  his  bride's  veil,  but  started 
back  in  affright,  and  demanded  why  Freya's  eyeballs  glistened  with 
fire.  Loki  repeated  the  same  excuse,  and  the  giant  was  satisfied. 
He  ordered  the  hammer  to  be  brought  in  and  laid  on  the  maiden's 
lap.  Thereupon  Thor  threw  off  his  disguise,  grasped  his  redoubted 
weapon,  and  slaughtered  Thrym  and  all  his  followers. 

Thor's  visit  to  Jotunheim.  —  One  day  Thor,  with  his  servant 
Thialfi,  and  accompanied  by  Loki,  set  out  for  the  giant's  country. 
Thialfi  was  of  all  men  the  swiftest  of  foot.  He  bore  Thor's 
wallet,  containing  their  provisions.  When  night  came  on  they 
found  themselves  in  an  immense  forest,  and  searched  on  all  sides 
for  a  place  where  they  might  pass  the  night.  At  last  they  came 
to  a  large  hall,  with  an  entrance  that  took  the  whole  breadth  of 
one  end  of  the  building.  Here  they  lay  down  to  sleep,  but 
towards  midnight  were  alarmed  by  an  earthquake  which  shook  the 
whole  edifice.  Thor  rising  up  called  on  his  companions  to  seek 
with  him  a  place  of  safety.  On  the  right  they  found  an  adjoining 
chamber,  into  which  the  others  entered,  but  Thor  remained  at  the 
doorway  with  his  mallet  in  his  hand,  prepared  to  defend  himself, 
whatever  might  happen.  A  terrible  groaning  was  heard  during 
the  night,  and  at  dawn  of  day  Thor  went  out  and  found  lying  near 
him  a  huge  giant,  still  snoring  in  tlie  way  that  had  alarmed  them. 
For  once  Thor  was  afraid  to  use  his  mallet,  and  as  the  giant  soon 
waked  up,  Thor  contented  himself  with  simply  asking  his  name. 

"  My  name  is  Skrymir,"  said  the  giant,  "  but  I  need  not  ask  thy 
name,  for  I  know  that  thou  art  the  god  Thor.  But  what  has 
become  of  my  glove?"  Thor  then  perceived  that  what  they  had 
taken  overnight  for  a  hall  was  the  giant's  glove,  and  the  chamber 
where  his  two  companions  had  sought  refuge  was  the  thumb. 
Skrymir  then  proposed  that  they  should  travel  in  company,  and 
Thor  consenting,  they  sat  down  to  eat  their  breakfast.  When 
they  had  done,  Skrymir  packed  all  the  provisions  into  one  wallet, 
threw  it  over  his  shoulder,  and  strode  on  before  them,  taking  such 
tremendous  strides  that  they  were  hard  put  to  it  to  keep  up  with 


374  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

him.  So  they  travelled  the  whole  day,  and  at  dusk,  Skrymir  chose 
a  place  for  them  to  pass  the  night  in  under  a  large  oak  tree. 
Skrymir  then  told  them  he  would  lie  down  to  sleep.  "  But  take 
ye  the  wallet,"  he  added,  "and  prepare  your  supper." 

Skrymir  soon  fell  asleep  and  began  to  snore  strongly,  but  when 
Thor  tried  to  open  the  wallet,  he  found  the  giant  had  tied  it  up  so 
tight  he  could  not  untie  a  single  knot.  At  last  Thor  became 
wroth,  and  grasping  his  mallet  with  both  hands  he  struck  a  furious 
blow  on  the  giant's  head.  Skrymir  awakening  merely  asked 
whether  a  leaf  had  not  fallen  on  his  head,  and  whether  they  had 
supped  and  were  ready  to  go  to  sleep.  Thor  answered  that  they 
were  just  going  to  sleep,  and  so  saying  went  and  laid  himself 
down  under  another  tree.  But  sleep  came  not  that  night  to  Thor, 
and  when  Skrymir  snored  again  so  loud  that  the  forest  reechoed 
with  the  noise,  he  arose,  and  grasping  his  mallet  launched  it  with 
such  force  at  the  giant's  skull  that  it  made  a  deep  dint  in  it. 
Skrymir,  awakening,  cried  out,  "  What's  the  matter  ?  are  there  any 
birds  perched  on  this  tree  ?  I  felt  some  moss  from  the  branches 
fall  on  my  head.  How  fares  it  with  thee,  Thor?"  But  Thor 
went  away  hastily,  saying  that  he  had  just  then  awoke,  and  that  as 
it  was  only  midnight,  there  was  still  time  for  sleep.  He  however 
resolved  that  if  he  had  an  opportunity  of  striking  a  third  blow,  it 
should  settle  all  matters  between  them.  A  little  before  daybreak 
he  perceived  that  Skrymir  was  again  fast  asleep,  and  again  grasping 
his  mallet,  he  dashed  it  with  such  violence  that  it  forced  its  way 
into  the  giant's  skull  up  to  the  handle.  But  Skrymir  sat  up,  and 
stroking  his  cheek  said,  "  An  acorn  fell  on  my  head.  What !  Art 
thou  awake,  Thor?  Methinks  it  is  time  for  us  to  get  up  and 
dress  ourselves ;  but  you  have  not  now  a  long  way  before  you  to 
the  city  called  Utgard.  I  have  heard  you  whispering  to  one 
another  that  I  am  not  a  man  of  small  dimensions ;  but  if  you 
come  to  Utgard  you  will  see  there  many  men  much  taller  than 
I.  Wherefore  I  advise  you,  when  you  come  there,  not  to  make 
too  much  of  yourselves,  for  the  followers  of  Utgard-Loki  will  not 
brook  the  boasting  of  such  little  fellows  as  you  are.     You  must 


MYTHS   OF   THE   NORSE    GODS.  375 

take  the  road  that  leads  eastward,  mine  lies  northward,  so  we 
must  part  here." 

Hereupon  he  threw  his  wallet  over  his  shoulders,  and  turned 
away  from  them  into  the  forest,  and  Thor  had  no  wish  to  stop  him 
or  to  ask  for  any  more  of  his  company. 

Thor  and  his  companions  proceeded  on  their  way,  and  towards 
noon  descried  a  city  standing  in  the  middle  of  a  plain.  It  was  so 
lofty  that  they  were  obliged  to  bend  their  necks  quite  back  on 
their  shoulders  in  order  to  see  to  the  top  of  it.  On  arriving  they 
entered  the  city,  and  seeing  a  large  palace  before  them  with  the 
door  wide  open,  they  went  in,  and  found  a  number  of  men  of 
prodigious  stature,  sitting  on  benches  in  the  hall.  Going  further, 
they  came  before  the  king  Utgard-Loki,  whom  they  saluted  with 
great  respect.  The  king,  regarding  them  with  a  scornful  smile, 
said,  "  If  I  do  not  mistake  me,  that  stripling  yonder  must  be  the 
god  Thor."  Then  addressing  himself  to  Thor,  he  said,  "  Perhaps 
thou  mayst  be  more  than  thou  appearest  to  be.  What  are  the 
feats  that  thou  and  thy  fellows  deem  yourselves  skilled  in,  for  no 
one  is  permitted  to  remain  here  who  does  not,  in  some  feat  or 
other,  excel  all  other  men?" 

"  The  feat  that  I  know,"  said  Loki,  "  is  to  eat  quicker  than  any 
one  else,  and  in  this  I  am  ready  to  give  a  proof  against  any  one 
here  who  may  choose  to  compete  with  me." 

"  That  will  indeed  be  a  feat,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  "  if  thou  per- 
formest  what  thou  promisest,  and  it  shall  be  tried  forthwith." 

He  then  ordered  one  of  his  men  who  was  sitting  at  the  farther 
end  of  the  bench,  and  whose  name  was  Logi,  to  come  fonvard  and 
try  his  skill  with  Loki.  A  trough  filled  with  meat  having  been 
set  on  the  hall  floor,  Loki  placed  himself  at  one  end  and  Logi  at 
the  other,  and  each  of  them  began  to  eat  as  fast  as  he  could,  until 
they  met  in  the  middle  of  the  trough.  But  it  was  found  that  Ixjki 
had  only  eaten  the  flesh,  while  his  adversary  had  devoured  both 
flesh  and  bone,  and  the  trough  to  boot.  All  the  company  there- 
fore adjudged  that  Loki  was  vanquished. 

Utgard-Loki  then  asked  what  feat  the  young  man  who  accom- 


376  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

panied  Thor  could  perform.  Thialfi  answered  that  he  would  run 
a  race  with  any  one  who  might  be  matched  against  him.  The 
king  observed  that  skill  in  running  was  something  to  boast  of,  but 
if  the  youth  would  win  the  match  he  must  display  great  agility. 
He  then  arose  and  went  with  all  who  were  present  to  a  plain 
where  there  was  good  ground  for  running  on,  and  calling  a  young 
man  named  Hugi,  bade  him  run  a  match  with  Thialfi,  In  the 
first  course  Hugi  so  much  outstripped  his  competitor  that  he 
turned  back  and  met  him  not  far  from  the  starting-place.  Then 
they  ran  a  second  and  a  third  time,  but  Thialfi  met  with  no  better 
success. 

Utgard-Loki  then  asked  Thor  in  what  feats  he  would  choose 
to  give  proofs  of  that  prowess  for  which  he  was  so  famous.  Thor 
answered  that  he  would  try  a  drinking-match  with  any  one. 
Utgard-Loki  bade  his  cupbearer  bring  the  large  horn  which  his 
followers  were  obliged  to  empty  when  they  had  trespassed  in  any 
way  against  the  law  of  the  feast.  The  cupbearer  having  presented 
it  to  Thor,  Utgard-Loki  said,  "  Whoever  is  a  good  drinker  will 
empty  that  horn  at  a  single  draught,  though  most  men  make  two 
of  it,  but  the  most  puny  drinker  can  do  it  in  three." 

Thor  looked  at  the  horn,  which  seemed  of  no  extraordinary 
size,  though  somewhat  long ;  however,  as  he  was  very  thirsty,  he 
set  it  to  his  lips,  and  without  drawing  breath,  pulled  as  long  and 
as  deeply  as  he  could,  that  he  might  not  be  obliged  to  make  a 
second  draught  of  it ;  but  when  he  set  the  horn  down  and  looked 
in,  he  could  scarcely  perceive  that  the  liquor  was  diminished. 

After  taking  breath,  Thor  went  to  it  again  with  all  his  might, 
but  when  he  took  the  horn  from  his  mouth,  it  seemed  to  him  that 
he  had  drank  rather  less  than  before,  although  the  horn  could 
now  be  carried  without  spilling. 

"  How  now,  Thor,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  "  thou  must  not  spare 
thyself;  if  thou  meanest  to  drain  the  horn  at  the  third  draught 
thou  must  pull  deeply ;  and  I  must  needs  say  that  thou  wilt  not 
be  called  so  mighty  a  man  here  as  thou  art  at  home  if  thou 
showest  no  greater  prowess  in  other  feats  than  methinks  will  be 
shown  in  this." 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  377 

Thor,  full  of  wrath,  again  set  the  horn  to  his  lips,  and  did  his 
best  to  empty  it ;  but  on  looking  in  found  the  liquor  was  only  a 
little  lower,  so  he  resolved  to  make  no  further  attempt,  but  gave 
back  the  horn  to  the  cupbearer. 

"  I  now  see  plainly,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  "  that  thou  art  not  quite 
so  stout  as  we  thought  thee  ;  but  wilt  thou  try  any  other  feat  ?  — 
though  methinks  thou  art  not  likely  to  bear  any  prize  away  with 
thee  hence." 

"  What  new  trial  hast  thou  to  propose  ?  "  said  Thor. 

"  \Ve  have  a  very  trifling  game  here,"  answered  Utgard-Loki, 
"  in  which  we  exercise  none  but  children.  It  consists  in  merely 
lifting  my  cat  from  the  ground ;  nor  should  I  have  dared  to 
mention  such  a  feat  to  the  great  Thor  if  I  had  not  already  ob- 
served that  thou  art  by  no  means  what  we  took  thee  for." 

As  he  finished  speaking  a  large  gray  cat  sprang  on  the  hall 
floor.  Thor  put  his  hand  under  the  cat's  belly  and  did  his  utmost 
to  raise  him  from  the  floor,  but  the  cat,  bending  his  back,  had, 
notwithstanding  all  Thor's  efforts,  only  one  of  his  feet  lifted  up, 
seeing  which  Thor  made  no  further  attempt. 

"This  trial  has  turned  out,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  "just  as  I 
imagined  it  would.  The  cat  is  large,  but  Thor  is  little  in  com- 
parison to  our  men." 

"  Little  as  ye  call  me,"  answered  Thor,  "  let  me  see  who  among 
you  will  come  hither  now  I  am  in  wrath  and  wrestle  with  me." 

"  I  see  no  one  here,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  looking  at  the  men 
sitting  on  the  benches,  "  who  would  not  think  it  beneath  him  to 
wrestle  with  thee ;  let  somebody,  however,  call  hither  that  old 
crone,  my  nurse  EUi,  and  let  Thor  wrestle  with  her  if  he  will. 
She  has  thrown  to  the  ground  many  a  man  not  less  strong  than 
this  Thor  is." 

A  toothless  old  woman  then  entered  the  hall,  and  was  told  by 
Utgard-I^ki  to  take  hold  of  Thor,  The  tale  is  shortly  told.  The 
more  Thor  tightened  his  hold  on  the  crone  the  firmer  she  stood. 
At  length,  after  a  very  violent  struggle,  Thor  began  to  lose  his 
footing,  and  was  finally  brought  down  upon  one  knee.     Utgard- 


378  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Loki  then  told  them  to  desist,  adding  that  Thor  had  now  no 
occasion  to  ask  any  one  else  in  the  hall  to  wrestle  with  him,  and 
it  was  also  getting  late ;  so  he  showed  Thor  and  his  companions 
to  their  seats,  and  they  passed  the  night  there  in  good  cheer. 

The  next  morning  at  break  of  day,  Thor  and  his  companions 
dressed  themselves  and  prepared  for  their  departure.  Utgard- 
Loki  ordered  a  table  to  be  set  for  them,  on  which  there  was 
no  lack  of  victuals  or  drink.  After  the  repast  Utgard-Loki  led 
them  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  and  on  parting  asked  Thor  how 
he  thought  his  journey  had  turned  out,  and  whether  he  had  met 
with  any  men  stronger  than  himself.  Thor  told  him  that  he 
could  not  deny  but  that  he  had  brought  great  shame  on  himself. 
"And  what  grieves  me  most,"  he  added,  "is  that  ye  will  call  me 
a  person  of  little  worth." 

"  Nay,"  said  Utgard-Loki,  "  it  behooves  me  to  tell  thee  the 
truth,  now  thou  art  out  of  the  city,  which  so  long  as  I  live  and 
have  my  way  thou  shalt  never  enter  again.  And,  by  my  troth, 
had  I  known  beforehand,  that  thou  hadst  so  much  strength  in 
thee,  and  wouldst  have  brought  me  so  near  to  a  great  mishap 
I  would  not  have  suffered  thee  to  enter  this  time.  Know  then 
that  I  have  all  along  deceived  thee  by  my  illusions ;  first  in  the 
forest,  where  I  tied  up  the  wallet  with  iron  wire  so  that  thou 
couldst  not  untie  it.  After  this  thou  gavest  me  three  blows  with 
thy  mallet ;  the  first,  though  the  least,  would  have  ended  my  days 
had  it  fallen  on  me,  but  I  slipped  aside,  and  thy  blows  fell  on  the 
mountain,  where  thou  wilt  find  three  glens,  one  of  them  remarkably 
deep.  These  are  the  dints  made  by  thy  mallet.  I  have  made 
use  of  similar  illusions  in  the  contests  ye  have  had  with  my 
followers.  In  the  first,  Loki,  like  hunger  itself,  devoured  all  that 
was  set  before  him,  but  Loki  was  in  reality  nothing  else  than  Fire, 
and  therefore  consumed  not  only  the  meat,  but  the  trough  which 
held  it.  Hugi,  with  whom  Thialfi  contended  in  running,  was 
Thought,  and  it  was  impossible  for  Thialfi  to  keep  pace  with  that. 
When  thou  in  thy  turn  didst  attempt  to  empty  the  horn,  thou 
didst  perform,  by  my  troth,  a  deed  so  marvellous,  that  had  I  not 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  379 

seen  it  myself,  I  should  never  have  believed  it.  For  one  end 
of  that  horn  reached  the  sea,  which  thou  wast  not  aware  of,  but 
when  thou  comest  to  the  shore  thou  wilt  perceive  how  much  the 
sea  has  sunk  by  thy  draughts.  Thou  didst  perform  a  feat  no  less 
wonderful  by  lifting  up  the  cat,  and  to  tell  thee  the  truth,  when 
we  saw  that  one  of  his  paws  was  off  the  floor,  we  were  all  of  us 
terror-stricken,  for  what  thou  tookest  for  a  cat  was  in  reality  the 
Midgard  serpent  that  encompasseth  the  earth,  and  he  was  so 
stretched  by  thee,  that  he  was  barely  long  enough  to  enclose  it 
between  his  head  and  tail.  Thy  wrestling  with  Elli  was  also  a 
most  astonishing  feat,  for  there  was  never  yet  a  man,  nor  ever 
will  be,  whom  Old  Age,  for  such  in  fact  was  Elli,  will  not  sooner 
or  later  lay  low.  But  now,  as  we  are  going  to  part,  let  me  tell 
thee  that  it  will  be  better  for  both  of  us  if  thou  never  come  near 
me  again,  for  shouldst  thou  do  so,  I  shall  again  defend  myself  by 
other  illusions,  so  that  thou  wilt  only  lose  thy  labor  and  get  no 
fame  from  the  contest  with  me." 

On  hearing  these  words  Thor  in  a  rage  laid  hold  of  his  mallet 
and  would  have  launched  it  at  him,  but  Utgard-Loki  had  dis- 
appeared, and  when  Thor  would  have  returned  to  the  city  to 
destroy  it,  he  found  nothing  around  him  but  a  verdant  plain. 

§  1 8 1 .  The  Sword  of  Freyr.  —  Freyr  also  possessed  a  wonder- 
ful weapon,  a  sword  which  would  of  itself  spread  a  field  with 
carnage  whenever  the  owner  desired  it.  Freyr  parted  with  this 
sword,  but  was  less  fortunate  than  Thor  and  never  recovered  it. 
It  happened  in  this  way :  Freyr  once  mounted  Odin's  throne, 
from  whence  one  can  see  over  the  whole  universe,  and  looking 
round  saw  far  off  in  the  giant's  kingdom  a  beautiful  maid,  at  the 
sight  of  whom  he  was  struck  with  sudden  sadness,  insomuch  that 
from  that  moment  he  could  neither  sleep,  nor  drink,  nor  speak. 
At  last  Skimir,  his  messenger,  drew  his  secret  from  him,  and 
undertook  to  get  him  the  maiden  for  his  bride,  if  he  would  give 
him  his  sword  as  a  reward.  Freyr  consented  and  gave  him  the 
sword,  and  Skimir  set  off  on  his  journey  and  obtained  the 
maiden's  promise  that  within  nine  nights  she  would  come  to  a 


380  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

certain  place  and  there  wed  Freyr.     Skirnir  having  reported  the 
success  of  his  errand,  Freyr  exclaimed,  — 

"  Long  is  one  night, 
Long  are  two  nights, 
But  how  shall  I  hold  out  three? 
Shorter  hath  seemed 
A  month  to  me  oft 
Than  of  this  longing  time  the  half." 

So  Freyr  obtained  Gerda,  the  most  beautiful  of  all  women,  for 
his  wife,  but  he  lost  his  sword. 

§  182.  The  Death  of  Balder.  —  Balder  the  Good,  having  been 
tormented  with  terrible  dreams  indicating  that  his  life  was  in 
peril,  told  them  to  the  assembled  gods,  who  resolved  to  conjure 
all  things  to  avert  from  him  the  threatened  danger.  Then  Frigga, 
the  wife  of  Odin,  exacted  an  oath  from  fire  and  water,  from  iron 
and  all  other  metals,  from  stones,  trees,  diseases,  beasts,  birds, 
poisons,  and  creeping  things,  that  none  of  them  would  do  any 
harm  to  Balder.  Odin,  not  satisfied  with  all  this,  and  feeling 
alarmed  for  the  fate  of  his  son,  determined  to  consult  the 
prophetess  Angerbode,  a  giantess,  mother  of  Fenris,  Hela,  and  the 
Midgard  Serpent.  She  was  dead,  and  Odin  was  forced  to  seek 
her  in  Hela's  dominions. 

But  the  other  gods,  feeling  that  what  Frigga  had  done  was 
quite  sufficient,  amused  themselves  with  using  Balder  as  a  mark, 
some  hurling  darts  at  him,  some  stones,  while  others  hewed  at 
him  with  their  swords  and  battle-axes ;  for  do  what  they  would 
none  of  them  could  harm  him.  And  this  became  a  favorite 
pastime  with  them  and  was  regarded  as  an  honor  shown  to  Balder. 
But  when  Ix)ki  beheld  the  scene  he  was  sorely  vexed  that  Balder 
was  not  hurt.  Assuming,  therefore,  the  shape  of  a  woman,  he 
went  to  Fensalir,  the  mansion  of  Frigga.  That  goddess,  when  she 
saw  the  pretended  woman,  inquired  of  her  if  she  knew  what  the 
gods  were  doing  at  their  meetings.  She  replied  that  they  were 
throwing  darts  and  stones  at  Balder,  without  being  able  to  hurt 
him.     "  Ay,"  said   Frigga,  "  neither  stones,  nor  sticks,  nor  any- 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  381 

thing  else  can  hurt  Balder,  for  I  have  exacted  an  oath  from  all  of 
them."  "  What,"  exclaimed  the  woman,  "  have  all  things  sworn  to 
spare  Balder?"  "All  things,"  replied  Frigga,  "except  one  little 
shrub  that  grows  on  the  eastern  side  of  Valhalla,  and  is  called 
Mistletoe,  and  which  I  thought  too  young  and  feeble  to  crave  an 
oath  from." 

As  soon  as  Loki  heard  this  he  went  away,  and  resuming  his 
natural  shape,  cut  off  the  mistletoe,  and  repaired  to  the  place 
where  the  gods  were  assembled.  There  he  found  Hoder  standing 
apart,  without  partaking  of  the  sports,  on  account  of  his  blindness, 
and  going  up  to  him,  said,  "  Why  dost  thou  not  also  throw 
something  at  Balder?" 

"  Because  I  am  blind,"  answered  Hoder,  "  and  see  not  where 
Balder  is,  and  have  moreover  nothing  to  throw." 

"  Come,  then,"  said  Loki,  "  do  like  the  rest,  and  show  honor 
to  Balder  by  throwing  this  twig  at  him,  and  I  will  direct  thy  arm 
toward  the  place  where  he  stands." 

Hoder  then  took  the  mistletoe,  and  under  the  guidance  of 
Loki,  darted  it  at  Balder,  who,  pierced  through  and  through,  fell 
down  lifeless.  Never  was  there  witnessed,  either  among  gods  or 
men,  a  more  atrocious  deed. 

So  on  the  floor  lay  Balder  dead ;  and  round  ' 

I^y  thickly  strewn  swords,  axes,  darts,  and  spears, 

Which  all  the  gods  in  sport  had  idly  thrown 

At  Balder,  whom  no  weapon  pierced  or  clove; 

But  in  his  breast  stood  fixt  the  fatal  bough 

Of  mistletoe,  which  Lok  the  accuser  gave 

To  Hoder,  and  unwitting  Hoder  threw  — 

'Gainst  that  alone  had  Raider's  life  no  charm. 

And  all  the  gods  and  all  the  heroes  came. 

And  stood  round  Balder  on  the  bloody  floor, 

Weeping  and  wailing;   and  Valhalla  rang 

Up  to  its  golden  roof  with  sobs  and  cries; 

And  on  the  tables  stood  the  untasted  meats. 

And  in  the  horns  and  gold-rimmed  skulls  the  wine. 

And  now  would  night  have  fall'n  and  found  them  yet 

Wailing;   but  otherwise  was  Odin's  will. 

1  From  Matthew  Arnold's  "  Balder  Dead." 


382  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

He  bade  them  not  to  spend  themselves  in  unavaiUng  grief,  for 
Balder,  though  the  brightest  god  of  heaven,  and  best  beloved,  had 
but  met  the  doom  ordained  at  his  birth  by  the  Norns.  Rather 
let  the  funeral  pile  be  prepared,  and  let  vengeance  on  Loki  be 
left  to  Odin  himself  So  speaking  Odin  mounted  his  horse 
Sleipnir  and  rode  away  to  Lidskialf;  and  the  gods  in  Valhalla 
returned  to  the  feast :  — 

And  before  each  the  cooks,  who  served  them,  placed 
New  messes  of  the  boar  Serimnir's  flesh, 
And  the  Valkyries  crowned  their  horns  with  mead. 
So  they,  with  pent-up  hearts  and  tearless  eyes, 
Wailing  no  more,  in  silence  ate  and  drank. 
While  twilight  fell,  and  sacred  night  came  on. 

But  the  blind  Hoder,  leaving  the  gods,  went  by  the  sea  to 
Fensalir,  the  house  of  Frigga,  mother  of  the  gods,  to  ask  her  what 
way  there  might  be  of  restoring  Balder  to  life  and  heaven.  Might 
Hela  perchance  surrender  Balder,  if  Hoder  himself  should  take 
his  place  among  the  shades?  "  Nay,"  replied  Frigga,  "no  way  is 
there  but  one,  that  the  first  god  thou  meetest  on  the  return  to 
Asgard,  take  Sleipnir,  Odin's  horse,  and  ride  o'er  the  bridge 
Bifrost  where  is  Heimdall's  watch,  past  Midgard  fortress,  down 
the  dark  unknown  road  to  Hel,  and  there  entreat  the  goddess 
Hela  that  she  yield  Balder  back  to  heaven."  Hoder  returning 
cityward  met  Hermod,  swiftest  of  the  gods,  — 

Nor  yet  could  Hermod  see  his  brother's  face, 
For  it  grew  dark;   but  Hoder  touched  his  arm. 
And  as  a  spray  honeysuckle  flower 
Brushes  across  a  tired  traveller's  face 
Who  shuffles  through  the  deep  dew-moisten'd  dust 
On  a  May  evening,  in  the  darkened  lanes, 
And  starts  him,  that  he  thinks  a  ghost  went  by, 
So  Hoder  brush'd  by  Hermod's  side,  and  said  : 

"Take  Sleipnir,  Hermod,  and  set  forth  with  dawn 
To  Hela's  kingdom,  to  ask  Balder  back; 
And  they  shall  be  thy  guides  who  have  the  power." 

He  spake,  and  brushed  soft  by  and  disappeared. 


MYTHS    OF  THE  NORSE    GODS.  383 

And  Hermod  gazed  into  the  night,  and  said : 

"  Who  is  it  utters  through  the  dark  his  hest 
So  (juickly,  and  will  wait  for  no  reply? 
The  voice  was  like  the  unhappy  Hoder's  voice. 
Howbeit  I  will  see,  and  do  his  hest; 
For  there  rang  note  divine  in  that  command." 

So  speaking,  the  fleet-footed  Hermod  came 
Home,  and  lay  down  to  sleep  in  his  own  house; 
And  all  the  gods  lay  down  in  their  own  homes. 
And  Hoder,  too,  came  home  distraught  with  grief, 
Loathing  to  meet,  at  dawn,  tlie  other  gods; 
And  he  went  in,  and  shut  the  door,  and  fixt 
His  sword  upright,  and  fell  on  it,  and  died. 

But  from  the  hill  of  Lidskialf  Odin  rose. 
The  throne,  from  which  his  eye  surveys  the  world; 
And  mounted  Sleipnir,  and  in  darkness  rode 
To  Asgard.     And  the  stars  came  out  in  heaven. 
High  over  Asgard,  to  light  home  the  king. 
But  fiercely  Odin  gallop'd,  moved  in  heart: 
And  swift  to  Asgard,  to  the  gate  he  came, 
And  terribly  the  hoofs  of  Sleipnir  rang 
Along  the  flinty  floor  of  Asgard  streets, 
And  the  gods  trembled  on  their  golden  beds 
Hearing  the  wrathful  father  coming  home  — 
For  dread,  for  like  a  whirlwind  Odin  came. 
And  to  Valhalla's  gate  he  rode,  and  left 
Sleipnir;   and  Sleipnir  went  to  his  own  stall; 
And  in  Valhalla  Odin  laid  him  down. 

That   night   in   a  vision   appeared   Balder  to   Nanna  his  wife, 
comforting  her :  — 

"  Yes,  and  I  fain  would  altogether  ward 

Death  from  thy  head,  and  with  the  gods  in  heaven 

Prolong  thy  life,  though  not  i)y  thee  desired  — 

But  right  bars  ties,  not  only  thy  desire. 

Yet  dreary,  Nanna,  is  the  life  they  lead 

In  that  dim  world,  in  Hela's  mouldering  realm; 

And  doleful  are  the  ghosts,  the  troops  of  dead, 

Whom  Hela  with  austere  control  presides. 

For  of  the  race  of  gods  is  no  one  there 

Save  me  alone,  and  Hela,  solemn  queen; 


384  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

For  all  the  nobler  souls  of  mortal  men 
On  battle  field  have  met  their  death,  and  now 
Feast  in  Valhalla,  in  my  father's  hall; 
Only  the  inglorious  sort  are  there  below  — 
The  old,  the  cowards,  and  the  weak  are  there. 
Men  spent  by  sickness,  or  obscure  decay. 
But  even  there,  O  Nanna,  we  might  find 
Some  solace  in  each  other's  look  and  speech, 
Wandering  together  through  that  gloomy  world. 
And  talking  of  the  life  we  led  in  heaven, 
While  we  yet  lived,  among  the  other  gods." 

He  spake,  and  straight  his  lineaments  began 
To  fade;   and  Nanna  in  her  sleep  stretched  out 
Her  arms  towards  him  with  a  cry,  but  he 
Mournfully  shook  his  head  and  disappeared. 
And  as  the  woodman  sees  a  little  smoke 
Hang  in  the  air,  afield,  and  disappear, 
So  Balder  faded  in  the  night  away. 
And  Nanna  on  her  bed  sank  back;   but  then 
Frea,  the  mother  of  the  gods,  with  stroke 
Painless  and  swift,  set  free  her  airy  soul. 
Which  took,  on  Balder's  track,  the  way  below; 
And  instantly  the  sacred  morn  appeared. 

With  the  morn  Hermod,  mounting  Sleipnir,  set  out  on  his 
mission.  For  the  space  of  nine  days  and  as  many  nights  he  rode 
through  deep  glens  so  dark  that  he  could  not  discern  anything, 
until  he  arrived  at  the  river  Gyoll,  which  he  passed  over  on  a 
bridge  covered  with  glittering  gold.  The  maiden  who  kept  the 
bridge  asked  him  his  name  and  lineage,  telling  him  that  the  day 
before  five  bands  of  dead  persons  had  ridden  over  the  bridge, 
and  did  not  shake  it  as  much  as  he  alone.  "  But,"  she  added, 
"  thou  hast  not  death's  hue  on  thee ;  why  then  ridest  thou  here 
on  the  way  to  Hel?  " 

"  I  ride  to  Hel,"  answered  Hermod,  "  to  seek  Balder.  Hast 
thou  perchance  seen  him  pass  this  way  ?  " 

She  replied,  "  Balder  hath  ridden  over  GyoU's  bridge,  and 
yonder  lieth  the  way  he  took  to  the  abodes  of  death." 

Hermod  pursued  his  journey  until  he  came  to  the  barred  gates 


MYTHS   OF   THE   XORSE    GODS.  385 

of  Hel.  Here  he  alighted,  girthed  his  saddle  tighter,  and  re- 
mounting clapped  both  spurs  to  his  horse,  which  cleared  the  gate 
by  a  tremendous  leap  without  touching  it.  Hermod  then  rode  on 
to  the  palace,  where  he  found  his  brother  Balder  occupying  the 
most  distinguished  seat  in  the  hall,  and  passed  the  night  in  his 
company.  The  next  morning  he  besought  Hela  to  let  Balder 
ride  home  with  him,  assuring  her  that  nothing  but  lamentations 
were  to  be  heard  among  the  gods.  Hela  answered  that  it  should 
now  be  tried  whether  Balder  was  so  beloved  as  he  was  said  to  be. 
"  If,  therefore,"  she  added,  "  all  things  in  the  world,  both  living 
and  lifeless,  weep  for  him,  then,  shall  he  return  to  life  ;  but  if  any 
one  thing  speak  against  him  or  refuse  to  weep,  he  shall  be  kept 
in  Hel." 

Hermod  then  rode  back  to  Asgard  and  gave  an  account  of  all 
he  had  heard  and  witnessed. 

The  gods  upon  this  despatched  messengers  throughout  the 
world  to  bpg  everything  to  weep  in  order  that  Balder  might  be 
delivered  from  Hel.  All  things  very  willingly  complied  with  this 
request,  both  men  and  ever)'  other  li\nng  being,  as  well  as  earths, 
and  stones,  and  trees,  and  metals,  just  as  we  have  all  seen  these 
things  weep  when  they  are  brought  from  a  cold  place  into  a  hot 
one. 

Then  the  messengers  returned,  — 

.  .  .  And  they  rode  home  together,  throagh  the  wood 
Of  Jamvid,  which  to  east  of  Midgard  lies 
Bordering  the  giants,  where  the  trees  are  iron ; 
There  in  the  wood  before  a  ca%e  they  came. 
Where  sate  in  the  cave's  mouth  a  skinny  hag, 
Toothless^and  old ;  she  gibes  the  passers-by. 
Thok  is  she  called,  but  now  Lok  wore  her  shape; 
She  greeted  them  the  first,  and  laughed  and  said : 
"  Ye  gods,  good  lack,  is  it  so  dull  in  heaven 
That  ye  come  pleasuring  to  Thok's  iron  wood? 
Lovers  of  change,  ye  are,  fastidious  sprites. 
Look,  as  in  some  bo»w's  yard,  a  sweet-breath'd  eow, 
WTiose  manger  is  stuffed  full  of  good  fresh  hay, 
Snuf&  at  it  daintily,  and  stoops  her  head 


386  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

To  chew  the  straw,  her  litter  at  her  feet  — 

So  ye  grow  squeamish,  gods,  and  sniff  at  heaven  !  " 

She  spake,  but  Hermod  answered  her  and  said, 
"Thok,  not  for  gibes  we  come;   we  come  for  tears. 
Balder  is  dead,  and  Hela  holds  her  prey. 
But  will  restore,  if  all  things  give  him  tears. 
Begrudge  not  thine!  to  all  was  Balder  dear." 

Then,  with  a  louder  laugh,  the  hag  replied : 
'  Is  Balder  dead?  and  do  ye  come  for  tears? 
Thok  with  dry  eyes  will  weep  o'er  Balder's  pyre. 
Weep  him  all  other  things,  if  weep  they  will  — 
I  weep  him  not !  let  Hela  keep  her  prey." 

She  spake,  and  to  the  caverH's  depth  she  fled. 
Mocking;   and  Hermod  knew  their  toil  was  vain.^ 

So  was  Balder  prevented  from  returning  to  Asgard. 

The  Funeral  of  Balder.  —  The  gods  took  up  the  dead  body 
and  bore  it  to  the  sea-shore  where  stood  Balder's  ship  Hringham, 
which  passed  for  the  largest  in  the  world.  Balder's  dead  body 
was  put  on  the  funeral  pile,  on  board  the  ship ;  and  tfie  body  of 
Nanna  was  burned  on  the  same  pile  with  her  husband's.  There 
was  a  vast  concourse  of  various  kinds  of  people  at  Balder's  obse- 
quies. First  came  Odin  accompanied  by  Frigga,  the  Valkyries, 
and  his  ravens  ;  then  Freyr  in  his  car  drawn  by  Gullinbursti,  the 
boar ;  Heimdall  rode  his  horse  GuUtopp,  and  Freya  drove  in  her 
chariot  drawn  by  cats.  There  were  also  a  great  many  Frost  giants 
and  giants  of  the  mountain  present.  Balder's  horse  was  led  to 
the  pile  fully  caparisoned  and  consumed  in  the  same  flames  with 
his  master. 

But  Loki  did  not  escape  his  merited  punishment.  When  he 
saw  how  wroth  the  gods  were,  he  fled  to  the  mountain,  and  there 
built  himself  a  hut  with  four  doors,  so  that  he  could  see  every 
approaching  danger.  He  invented  a  net  to  catch  the  fishes,  such 
as  fishermen  have  used  since  his  time.  But  Odin  found  out  his 
hiding-place  and  the  gods  assembled  to  take  him.  He,  seeing 
this,  changed  himself  into  a  salmon,   and   lay   hid   among  the 

1  From  Matthew  Arnold's  "  Balder  Dead." 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  387 

Stones  of  the  brook.  But  the  gods  took  his  net  and  dragged 
the  brook,  and  Loki  finding  he  must  be  caught,  tried  to  leap 
over  the  net ;  but  Thor  caught  him  by  the  tail  and  compressed  it 
so,  that  salmons  ever  since  have  had  that  part  remarkably  fine  and 
thin.  They  bound  him  with  chains  and  suspended  a  serpent  over 
his  head,  whose  venom  falls  upon  his  face  drop  by  drop.  His 
wife  Siguna  sits  by  his  side  and  catches  the  drops  as  they  fall,  in  a 
cup ;  but  when  she  carries  it  away  to  empty  it,  the  venom  falls 
upon  l.oki,  which  makes  him  howl  with  horror,  and  writhe  so  that 
the  whole  earth  shakes. 

§  183.  The  Elves. — The  Edda  mentions  another  class  of 
beings,  inferior  to  the  gods,  but  still  possessed  of  great  power ; 
these  were  the  Elves.  The  white  spirits,  or  Elves  of  Light, 
were  exceedingly  fair,  more  brilliant  than  the  sun,  and  clad  in 
garments  of  a  delicate  and  transparent  texture.  They  loved  the 
light,  were  kindly  disposed  to  mankind,  and  generally  appeared 
as  fair  and  lovely  children.  Their  country  was  called  Elfheim, 
and  was  the  domain  of  Freyr,  in  whose  sunlight  they  always  sported. 

The  black  or  night  elves,  ugly,  long-nosed  dwarfs,  of  a  dirty 
brown  color,  appeared  only  at  night.  They  avoided  the  sun  as 
their  most  deadly  enemy,  because  his  beams  changed  them 
immediately  into  stones.  Their  language  was  the  echo  of  soli- 
tudes, and  their  dwelling-places  subterranean  caves  and  clefts. 
They  were  supposed  to  have  come  into  existence  as  maggots 
produced  by  the  decaying  flesh  of  Ymir's  body.  They  were  after- 
wards endowed  by  the  gods  with  a  human  form  and  great  under- 
standing. They  were  particularly  distinguished  for  a  knowledge 
of  the  mysterious  powers  of  nature,  and  for  the  runes  which  they 
carved  and  explained.  They  were  the  most  skilful  artificers  of  all 
created  beings,  and  worked  in  metals  and  in  wood.  Among  their 
most  noted  works  were  Thor's  hammer,  and  the  ship  Skidbladnir, 
which  they  gave  to  Freyr,  and  which  was  so  large  that  it  could 
contain  all  the  deities  with  their  war  and  household  implements, 
but  so  skilfully  was  it  wrought  that  when  folded  together  it  could 
be  put  into  a  side  pocket 


388  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  184.  Ragnarok,  the  Twilight  of  the  Gods.  —  It  was  a  firm 
belief  of  the  Northern  nations  that  a  time  would  come  when  all 
the  visible  creation,  the  gods  of  Valhalla  and  Niflheim,  the  in- 
habitants of  Jotunheim,  Elfheim,  and  Midgard,  together  with 
their  habitations,  would  be  destroyed.  The  fearful  day  of  de- 
struction will  not,  however,  be  without  warning.  First  will  come 
a  triple  winter,  during  which  snow  will  fall  from  the  four  corners 
of  the  heavens,  the  frost  be  severe,  the  wind  piercing,  the  weather 
tempestuous,  and  the  sun  impart  no  gladness.  Three  such  winters 
will  pass  without  being  tempered  by  a  single  summer.  Three  other 
like  winters  will  follow,  during  which  war  and  discord  will  spread 
over  the  universe.  The  earth  itself  will  be  afraid  and  begin  to 
tremble,  the  sea  leave  its  basin,  the  heavens  tear  asunder ;  men 
will  perish  in  great  numbers,  and  the  eagles  of  the  air  feast  upon 
their  still  quivering  bodies.  The  wolf  Fenris  will  now  break  his 
bands,  the  Midgard  serpent  rise  out  of  his  bed  in  the  sea,  and 
Loki,  released  from  his  bonds,  will  join  the  enemies  of  the  gods. 
Amidst  the  general  devastation  the  sons  of  Muspelheim  will  rush 
forth  under  their  leader  Surter,  before  and  behind  whom  are  flames 
and  burning  fire.  Onward  they  ride  over  Bifrost,  the  rainbow 
bridge,  which  breaks  under  the  horses'  hoofs.  But  they,  disre- 
garding its  fall,  direct  their  course  to  the  battle-field  called  Vigrid. 
Thither  also  repair  the  wolf  Fenris,  the  Midgard  serpent,  Loki 
with  all  the  followers  of  Hela,  and  the  Frost  giants. 

Heimdall  now  stands  up  and  sounds  the  Giallar  horn  to  assem- 
ble the  gods  and  heroes  for  the  contest.  The  gods  advance,  led 
on  by  Odin,  who  engaging  the  wolf  Fenris,  falls  a  victim  to  the 
monster.  Fenris  is,  in  turn,  slain  by  Vithar,  Odin's  son.  Thor 
wins  great  renown  by  killing  the  Midgard  serpent,  but,  recoiling, 
falls  dead,  suffocated  with  the  venom  which  the  dying  monster 
vomits  over  him.  Loki  and  Heimdall  meet  and  fight  till  they 
both  are  slain.  The  gods  and  their  enemies  having  fallen  in 
battle,  Surter,  who  has  killed  Freyr,  darts  fire  and  flames  over  the 
world,  and  the  universe  is  consumed.  The  sun  grows  dim,  the 
earth  sinks  into  the  ocean,  the  stars  fiiU  from  heaven,  and  time 
is  no  more. 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  389 

After  this  Alfadur  (the  Ahnighty)  will  cause  a  new  heaven  and 
a  new  earth  to  arise  out  of  the  sea.  The  new  earth,  filled  with 
abundant  supplies,  will  produce  its  fruits  without  labor  or  care. 
Wickedness  and  misery  will  no  more  be  known,  but  the  gods  and 
men  will  live  happily  together. 

This  twilight  of  the  gods  is  aptly  described  in  a  conversation 
held  between  Balder  and  Hermod,  after  Hermod  has  a  second 
time  ridden  to  Hel :  — 

And  the  fleet-footed  Hermod  made  reply :  —  ^ 

"  Thou  hast  then  all  the  solace  death  allows. 

Esteem  and  function;   and  so  far  is  well. 

Yet  here  thou  liest,  Haider,  underground. 

Rusting  for  ever;   and  the  years  roll  on, 

The  generations  pass,  the  ages  grow, 

And  bring  us  nearer  to  the  fmal  day 

When  from  the  south  shall  march  the  fiery  band 

And  cross  the  bridge  of  heaven,  with  Lok  for  guide, 

And  Fenris  at  his  heel  with  broken  chain ; 

While  from  the  east  the  giant  Rymer  steers 

His  ship,  and  the  great  serpent  makes  to  land; 

And  all  are  marshall'd  in  one  flaming  square 

Against  the  gods,  upon  the  plains  of  heaven. 

I  mourn  thee,  that  thou  canst  not  help  us  then." 

He  spake  ;   but  Balder  answered  him,  and  said :  — 
"  Mourn  not  for  me  !     Mourn,  Hermod,  for  the  gods  ; 
Mourn  for  the  men  on  earth,  the  gods  in  heaven, 
Who  live,  and  with  their  eyes  shall  see  that  day ! 
The  day  will  come,  when  fall  shall  -Vsgard's  towers. 
And  Odin,  and  his  sons,  the  seed  of  Heaven  ; 
But  what  were  I,  to  save  them  in  that  hour? 
If  strength  might  save  them,  could  not  Odin  save. 
My  father,  and  his  pride,  the  warrior  Thor, 
Vidar  the  silent,  the  impetuous  Tyr? 
I,  what  were  I,  when  these  can  nought  avail? 
Vet,  doubtless,  when  the  day  of  battle  comes. 
And  the  two  hosts  are  marshall'd,  and  in  heaven 
The  golden-crested  cock  shall  sound  alarm, 

1  From  Matthew  Arnold's  "  Balder  Dead." 


390  CLASSIC  MYITIS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

And  his  black  brother-bird  from  hence  reply, 

And  bucklers  clash,  and  spears  begin  to  pour  — 

Longing  will  stir  within  my  breast,  though  vain, 

But  not  to  me  so  grievous  as,  I  know. 

To  other  gods  it  were,  is  my  enforced 

Absence  from  fields  where  I  could  nothing  aid  ; 

For  I  am  long  since  weary  of  your  storm 

Of  carnage,  and  find,  Hermod,  in  your  life 

Something  too  much  of  war  and  broils,  which  make 

Life  one  perpetual  fight,  a  bath  of  blood. 

Mine  eyes  are  dizzy  with  the  arrowy  hail ; 

Mine  ears  are  stunned  with  blows,  and  sick  for  calm. 

Inactive,  therefore,  let  me  lie  in  gloom. 

Unarmed,  inglorious  ;   I  attend  the  course 

Of  ages,  and  my  late  return  to  light. 

In  times  less  alien  to  a  spirit  mild,. 

In  new  re-covered  seats,  the  happier  day." 

He  spake  ;   and  the  fleet  Hermod  thus  replied  :  — 
"Brother,  what  seats  are  these,  what  happier  day? 
Tell  me,  that  I  may  ponder  it  wheij  gone." 

And  the  ray-crowned  Balder  answered  him  :  — 
"  Far  to  the  south,  beyond  the  blue,  there  spreads 
Another  heaven,  the  boundless  —  no  one  yet 
Hath  reached  it ;   there  hereafter  shall  arise 
The  second  Asgard,  with  another  name. 
Thither,  when  o'er  this  present  earth  and  heavens 
The  tempest  of  the  latter  days  hath  swept, 
And  they  from  sight  have  disappeared  and  sunk. 
Shall  a  small  remnant  of  the  gods  repair  ; 
H3der  and  I  shall  join  them  from  the  grave. 
There  re-assembling  we  shall  see  emerge 
From  the  brighf  ocean  at  our  feet  an  earth 
More  fresh,  more  verdant  than  the  last,  with  fruits 
Self-springing,  and  a  seed  of  man  preserved. 
Who  then  shall  live  in  peace,  as  now  in  war. 
But  we  in  heaven  shall  find  again  with  joy 
The  ruin'd  palaces  of  Odin,  seats 
Familiar,  halls  where  we  have  supp'd  of  old, 
Re-enter  them  with  wonder,  never  fill 
Our  eyes  with  gazing,  and  rebuild  with  tears. 
And  we  shall  tread  once  more  the  well-known  plain 


MYTHS   OF   THE  NORSE    GODS.  391 

Of  Ida,  and  among  the  grass  shall  find 
The  golden  dice  wherewith  we  played  of  yore ; 
And  that  shall  bring  to  mind  the  former  life 
And  pastime  of  the  gods  —  the  wise  discourse 
Of  Odin,  the  delights  of  other  days. 

0  Hermod,  pray  that  thou  niay'st  join  us  then ! 
Such  for  the  future  is  my  hope  ;   meanwhile, 

1  rest  the  thrall  of  Hela,  and  endure 

Death,  and  the  gloom  which  round  me  even  now 
Thickens,  and  to  inner  gulph  recalls. 
Farewell,  for  longer  speech  is  not  allowed." 


392  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

MYTHS   OF    NORSE    AND    OLD    GERMAN    HEROES. 

§  185.  The  Saga  of  the  Volsungs.^  —  Sigi,  the  son  of  Odin, 
was  a  mighty  king  of  the  Huns  whom  Odin  loved  and  prospered 
exceedingly.  Rerir,  also,  the  son  of  Sigi,  was  a  man  of  valor 
and  one  who  got  lordship  and  land  unto  himself;  but  neither 
Sigi  nor  Rerir  were  to  compare  with  Volsung,  who  ruled  over 
Hunland  after  his  father  Rerir  went  home  to  Odin. 

To  Volsung  were  born  ten  sons,  —  and  one  daughter,  Signy  by 
name ;  and  of  the  sons  Sigmund  was  the  eldest  and  the  most 
valiant.  And  the  Volsungs  abode  in  peace  till  Siggeir,  king  of 
Gothland,  came  wooing  Signy,  who,  though  loth  to  accept  him, 
was,  by  her  father's  desire,  betrothed  to  him. 

Now  on  the  night  of  the  wedding  great  fires  were  made  in  the 
hall  of  the  Volsungs,  and  in  the  midst  stood  Branstock,  a  great 
oak  tree,  about  which  the  hall  had  been  built,  and  the  limbs  of 
the  tree  spread  over  the  roof  of  the  hall ;  and  round  about  Bran- 
stock  they  sat  and  feasted,  and  sang  of  ancient  heroes  and  heard 
the  music  of  the  harp  that  went  from  hand  to  hand. 

But  e'en  as  men's  hearts  were  hearkening  some  heard  the  thunder  pass* 
O'er  the  cloudless  noontide  heaven;   and  some  men  turned  about 
And  deemed  that  in  the  doorway  they  heard  a  man  laugh  out. 
Then  into  the  Volsung  dwelling  a.  mighty  man  there  strode, 
One-eyed  and  seeming  ancient,  yet  bright  his  visage  glowed; 
Cloud-blue  was  the  hood  upon  him,  and  his  kirtle  gleaming-gray 
As  the  latter  morning  sun-dog  when  the  storm  is  on  the  way; 

1  See  the  Story  of  the  Volsungs,  by  William  Morris  and  Eirikr  Magnusson ; 
William  Morris'  Sigurd  the  Volsung;  Vigfusson  and  Powell's  Corpus  Poeticum 
Boreale;  and  Commentary  {  185. 

2  The  extracts  in  verse  are  from  William  Morris'  Sigurd  the  Volsung. 


MYTHS    OF  NORSE   AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.     393 

A  bill  he  bore  on  his  shoulder,  whose  mighty  ashen  beam 
Burnt  bright  with  the  flame  of  the  sea,  and  the  blended  silver's  gleam. 
And  such  was  the  guise  of  his  raiment  as  the  Volsung  elders  had  told 
Was  borne  by  their  fathers'  fathers,  and  the  first  that  warred  in  the  wold. 

So  strode  he  to  the  Branstock,  nor  greeted  any  lord, 
But  forth  from  his  cloudy  raiment  he  drew  a  gleaming  sword, 
And  smote  it  deep  in  the  tree-bole,  and  the  wild  hawks  overhead 
Laughed  'neath  the  naked  heaven  as  at  last  he  spake  and  said : 
"  Earls  of  the  Goths,  and  Volsungs,  abiders  on  the  earth, 
Lo  there  amid  the  Branstock  a  blade  of  plenteous  worth  ! 
The  folk  of  the  war-wand's  forgers  wrought  never  better  steel 
Since  first  the  burg  of  heaven  uprose  for  man-folks  weal. 
Now  let  the  man  among  you  whose  heart  and  hand  may  shift 
To  pluck  it  from  the  oak-wood  e'en  take  it  for  my  gift. 
Then  ne'er,  but  his  own  heart  falter,  its  point  and  edge  shall  fail 
Until  the  night's  beginning  and  the  ending  of  the  tale. 
Be  merry,  Earls  of  the  Goth-folk,  ()  Volsung  Sons  be  wise, 
And  reap  the  liattle-acre  that  ripening  for  you  lies: 
Eor  they  tolil  me  in  the  wild  wood,  I  heard  on  the  mountain-side 
That  the  shining  house  of  heaven  is  wrought  exceeding  wide. 
And  that  there  the  Early-comers  shall  have  abundant  rest 
While  Earth  grows  scant  of  great  ones,  and  fadeth  from  its  best, 
And  fadeth  from  its  midward,  and  groweth  poor  and  vile :  — 
All  hail  to  thee.  King  Volsung !  farewell  for  a  little  while !  " 

So  sweet  his  speaking  sounded,  so  wise  his  words  did  seem 
That  moveless  all  men  sat  there,  as  in  a  happy  dream 
We  stir  not  lest  we  waken;   but  there  his  speech  had  end 
And  slowly  down  the  hall-floor,  and  outward  did  he  wend; 
And  none  would  cast  him  a  question  or  follow  on  his  ways, 
For  they  knew  that  the  gift  was  Odin's,  a  sword  for  the  world  to  praise. 

Then  all  made  trial,  Siggeir  and  his  earis,  and  Volsung  and  his 
people,  to  draw  forth  the  sword  from  Branstock,  but  with  no  suc- 
cess, till  Sigmund,  laying  his  hand  carelessly  on  the  precious  hilt, 
drew  forth  the  naked  blade  as  though  it  were  loose  in  the  oak. 
Whereupon  Siggeir  offered  money  for  the  sword,  but  Sigmund 
scorned  the  offer. 

But  in  time  Siggeir  had  his  vengeance.  Inviting  King  Volsung 
and  his  sons  to  Gothland,  he  fell  upon  them,  slew  the  king,  and 
suffered  the  sons,  fastened  under  a  log,  to  be  devoured  in  succes- 


394  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

sion  by  a  she-wolf,  —  all  but  Sigmund,  who  through  the  wile  of 
his  sister  Signy  was  rescued.  He,  driven  to  the  life  of  an  out- 
law, sought  means  to  avenge  his  father,  and  Signy,  on  her  part, 
strove  to  aid  him,  — without  avail,  however,  till  Sinfiotli,  the  son  of 
herself  and  Sigmund,  was  grown  to  manhood.  This  youth  bore 
Sigmund  company.  For  a  season,  as  wolves,  they  scoured  the 
woods ;  finally  resuming  the  form  of  men,  they  slew  the  children 
of  Siggeir,  and  burned  him  in  his  hall.  Signy,  having  helped  to 
avenge  her  father,  died  with  her  husband. 

Sigmund,  thereupon,  became  king,  and  took  to  himself  a  wife. 
But  she,  suffering  injury  at  the  hands  of  Sinfiotli,  poisoned  him 
with  a  horn  of  ale.  Then  Sigmund  sorrowed  nigh  to  death  over 
his  son,  and  drove  away  that  queen,  and  soon  after  she  died.  He 
then  married  Hiordis  the  fair ;  but  before  long,  doing  battle 
against  Lyngi,  the  son  of  Hunding,  —  a  chieftain  who  also  had 
loved  the  fair  Hiordis,  —  he  got  his  death-wound  :  — 

For  lo,  through  the  hedge  of  the  warshafts  a  mighty  man  there  came, 
One-eyed  and  seeming  ancient,  but  his  visage  shone  like  flame; 
Gleaming-gray  was  his  kirtle,  and  his  hood  was  cloudy-blue; 
And  he  bore  a  mighty  twi-bill,  as  he  waded  the  fight-sheaves  through, 
And  stood  face  to  face  with  Sigmund,  and  upheaved  the  bill  to  smite. 
Once  more  round  the  head  of  the  Volsung  fierce  glittered  the  Branstock's  light. 
The  sword  that  came  from  Odin;   and  Sigmund's  cry  once  more 
Rang  out  to  the  very  heavens  above  the  din  of  war. 
Then  clashed  the  meeting  edges  with  Sigmund's  latest  stroke. 
And  in  shivering  shards  fell  earthward  that  fear  of  worldly  folk. 
But  changed  were  the  eyes  of  Sigmund,  and  the  war-wrath  left  his  face; 
For  that  gray-clad  mighty  helper  was  gone,  and  in  his  place 
Drave  on  the  unbroken  spear-wood  'gainst  the  Volsung's  empty  hands : 
And  there  they  smote  down  Sigmund,  the  wonder  of  all  lands. 
On  the  foemen,  on  the  death-heap  his  deeds  had  piled  that  day. 

To  Hiordis,  after  Sigmund's  death,  was  born  Sigurd,  like  whom 
was  never  man  for  comeliness  and  valor  and  great-heartedness 
and  might.  He  was  the  greatest  of  the  Volsungs.  His  foster- 
father  was  Regin,  the  son  of  Rodmar,  a  blacksmith,  who  taught 
him  the  lore  of  runes  and  many  tongues  ;  and,  by  means  of  a 


MY  Ills   OF  NORSE  AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.     395 

Story  of  ancient  wrongs,  incited  him  to  the  destruction  of  the  dragon 
Fafnir.  For  Regin  told  that  the  gods,  Odin,  Loki,  and  Hcenir, 
wandering  near  his  father  Rodmar's  house,  Loki  slew  one  of 
Rodmar's  sons,  Otter.  Whereupon  Rodmar  demanded  that  the 
gods  should  fill  the  Otter-skin  with  gold,  and  cover  it  with  gold. 
Now,  Loki,  being  sent  to  procure  the  gold,  caught  Andvari  the 
dwarf,  and  from  him  procured  by  force  a  hoard  of  the  precious 
metal,  and  with  it  a  magic  ring,  whose  touch  bred  gold.  But 
Andvari  cursed  the  ring  and  the  gold  and  all  that  might  possess 
either.  The  gods,  forthwith,  filled  Otter  with  the  dwarfs  gold, 
and  surrendered  both  gold  and  ring  to  Rodmar.  Immediately 
the  curse  began  to  work.  Fafnir,  brother  of  Regin  and  Otter,  slew 
Rodmar  and  seized  the  treasure,  and  assuming  a  dragon's  form, 
brooded  upon  the  hoard.  ^Vith  this  tale  Regin  egged  on  Sigurd  to 
the  undoing  of  Fafnir.  He  welded  him,  too,  a  resistless  sword  out 
of  the  shards  of  Sigmund's  sword,  Gram  (the  wrath).  Then  Si- 
gurd swore  that  he  would  slay  the  dragon.  But  first,  riding  on 
his  horse,  Greyfell,  of  the  blood  of  Odin's  Sleipnir,  he  avenged 
upon  the  sons  of  Hunding  the  death  of  his  father.  This  done, 
Sigurd  rode  to  Glistenheath  and  slew  Fafnir,  the  dragon,  and 
eating  of  his  heart,  learned  the  language  of  the  birds ;  and  at 
their  advice  he  slew  Regin  also,  who  plotted  against  him. 

So,  setting  the  ring  of  Andvari  on  his  finger,  and  bearing  the 
gold  before  him  on  his  horse,  Greyfell,  Sigurd  comes  to  the  Hill 
of  Hindfell. 

And  sitteth  awhile  on  Greyfell  on  the  marvellous  thing  to  gaze : 
For  lo,  the  side  of  Hindfell  enwrapped  by  the  fervent  blaze, 
And  naught  'twixt  earth  and  heaven  save  a  world  of  flickering  flame. 
And  a  hurrying,  shifting  tangle,  where  the  dark  rents  went  and  came  .  .  . 
.  .  .  Now  Sigurd  turns  in  his  saddle,  and  the  hilt  of  the  Wrath  he  shifts, 
And  draws  a  girth  the  tighter;   then  the  gathered  reins  he  lifts. 
And  crieth  aloud  to  Greyfell,  and  rides  at  the  wildfire's  heart; 
But  the  white  wall  wavers  before  him  and  the  flame-flood  rusheth  apart, 
And  high  o'er  his  head  it  riseth,  and  wide  and  wild  is  its  roar 
As  it  beareth  the  mighty  tidings  to  the  very  heavenly  floor; 
But  he  rideth  through  its  roaring  as  the  warrior  ridis  the  rye, 


3%  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

When  it  bows  with  the  wind  of  the  summer  and  the  hid  spears  draw  anigh; 

The  whit6  flame  Hcks  his  raiment  and  sweeps  through  Greyfell's  mane, 

And  bathes  both  hands  of  Sigurd  and  the  hilts  of  Fafnirs  bane, 

And  winds  about  his  war-hehn  and  mingles  with  his  hair. 

But  nought  his  raiment  dusketh  or  dims  his  glittering  gear;  — 

Then  it  falls  and  fades  and  darkens  till  all  seems  left  behind. 

And  dawn  and  the  blaze  is  swallowed  in  mid-mirk  stark  and  blind.  .  .  . 

Then  before  him  Sigurd  sees  a  shield-hung  castle,  surmounted 
by  a  golden  buckler,  instead  of  a  banner,  which  rings  against  the 
flag-staff.  And  he  enters  and  finds  the  form  of  one  asleep  —  in 
armor  cap-a-pie. 

So  he  draweth  the  helm  from  the  head,  and,  lo,  the  brow  snow-white, 
And  the  smooth  unfurrowed  cheeks,  and  the  wise  lips  breathing  light; 
And  the  face  of  a  woman  it  is,  and  the  fairest  that  ever  was  born. 
Shown  forth  to  the  empty  heavens  and  the  desert  world  forlorn: 
But  he  looketh,  and  loveth  her  sore,  and  he  longeth  her  spirit  to  move. 
And  awaken  her  heart  to  the  world,  that  she  may  behold  him  and  love. 
And  he  toucheth  her  breast  and  her  hands,  and  he  loveth  her  passing  sore; 
And  he  saith,  "  Awake !  I  am  Sigurd,"  but  she  moveth  never  the  more.  .  .  . 

Then  with  his  bright  blade  Sigurd  rends  the  ring-knit  mail  that 
encloses  her,  "  till  nought  but  the  rippling  linen  is  wrapping  her 
about,"  — 

Then  a  flush  cometh  over  her  visage  and  a  sigh  upheaveth  her  breast, 

And  her  eyelids  quiver  and  open,  and  she  wakeneth  into  rest; 

Wide-eyed  on  the  dawning  she  gazeth,  too  glad  to  change  or  smile, 

And  but  little  moveth  her  body,  nor  speaketh  she  yet  for  a  while; 

And  yet  kneels  Sigurd,  moveless,  her  wakening  speech  to  heed, 

While  soft  the  waves  of  the  daylight  o'er  the  starless  heavens  speed. 

And  the  gleaming  vines  of  the  Shield-burg  yet  bright  and  brighter  grow, 

And  the  thin  moon  hangeth  her  horns  dead-white  in  the  golden  glow. 

Then  she  turned  and  gazed  on  Sigurd,  and  her  eyes  met  the  Volsung's  eyes. 

And  mighty  and  measureless  now  did  the  tide  of  his  love  arise. 

For  their  longing  had  met  and  mingled,  and  he  knew  of  her  heart  that  she  loved, 

As  she  spake  unto  nothing  but  him  and  her  lips  with  the  speech-flood  moved. 

Brynhild,  it  was,  —  the  Valkyrie, — who  long  time  had  lain  in 
that  enchanted  sleep  that  Odin,  her  father,  had  poured  over  her, 


MYTHS   OF  NORSE  AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.      397 

dooming  her  to  mortal  awakening  and  to  mortal  love,  for  the  evil 
she  had  wrought  of  old  when  she  espoused  the  cause  in  battle  of 
those  whom  the  Norns  had  predestined  to  death.  Her  might 
none  but  the  fearless  awaken ;  and  her  had  Sigurd  awakened ; 
and  she  loved  him,  for  he  was  without  fear  and  godlike.  And  she 
taught  him  many  wise  sayings ;  and  they  plighted  troth,  one  to 
the  other,  both  then  and  again ;  and  Sigurd  gave  her  the  ring  of 
Andvari.  But  they  were  not  destined  to  dwell  together  in  wed- 
lock ;  and  Brynhild,  foreseeing  the  future,  knew  even  this. 

Sigurd  was  to  wed  with  another  than  Brynhild.  And  it  befell 
in  this  wise.  In  the  land  of  the  Niblungs  (Nibelungs,  Nibelun- 
gen)  dwelt  Gudrun,  daughter  of  Giuki,  the  Niblung  king.  And 
Gudrun  dreamed  a  dream  in  which  a  fair  hawk  feathered  with 
feathers  of  gold  alighted  upon  her  wrist.  She  went  to  Brynhild 
for  the  interpretation  of  the  dream.  "  The  hawk,"  said  Brynhild, 
"  is  Sigurd."  And  so  it  came  to  pass.  Sigurd  visiting  the  court  of 
the  Niblungs,  was  kindly  entreated  by  King  Giuki  and  his  three 
sons,  Gunnar,  Hogni,  and  Guttorm ;  and  he  performed  deeds  of 
valor  such  that  they  honored  him.  But  after  many  days,  Grim- 
hild,  the  mother  of  Gudrun,  administered  to  Sigurd  a  magic 
potion  that  removed  from  him  all  memory  of  Brynhild.  So 
Sigurd  loved  and  wedded  the  fair  Gudrun.  Indeed  he  soon 
joined  others  in  urging  his  wife's  brother  Gunnar,  a  doughty 
warrior,  to  sue  for  the  hand  of  Brynhild  herself.  But  Brynhild 
would  have  no  one  that  could  not  ride  through  the  flames  drawn  up 
around  her  hall.  After  Gunnar  had  made  two  unsuccessful  attempts, 
Sigurd,  assuming  the  form  of  King  Gunnar,  mounted  Greyfell  and 
rode  for  the  second  time  through  the  flames  of  Hindfell.  Then 
still  wearing  the  semblance  of  Gunnar  he  gained  the  consent  of 
Brynhild  to  the  union,  and  exchanged  rings  with  her,  —  she  giving 
him  none  other  than  the  ancient  Ring  of  Andvari  back  again.  But 
even  this  did  not  recall  to  Sigurd's  memory  his  former  ride  and  his 
former  love.  Returning  to  the  land  of  the  Niblungs,  he  announced 
the  success  of  his  undertaking  ;  and  told  all  things  to  Gudnm,  giv- 
ing her  the  fatal  ring  that  he  had  regained  from  Brynhild. 


398  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

In  ten  days  came  Brynhild  by  agreement  to  the  Hall  of  the 
Niblungs,  and,  though  she  knew  well  the  deceit  that  had  been 
practised  on  her,  she  made  no  sign ;  nay,  was  wedded  according 
to  her  promise  to  King  Gunnar.  But  as  they  sat  at  the  wedding- 
feast,  the  charm  of  Grimhild  was  outworn, —  Sigurd  looked  upon 
Gunnar's  bride,  and  knew  the  Brynhild  of  old,  the  Valkyrie,  whom 
he  had  loved ;  "  And  Byrnhild's  face  drew  near  him  with  eyes 
grown  stern  and  strange." 

But,  apparently,  all  went  well  till  the  young  queens,  one  day, 
bathing  in  the  Water  of  the  Niblungs,  fell  into  contention  on  a 
matter  of  privilege.  Brynhild  claimed  precedence  in  entering 
the  river  on  the  ground  that  Gunnar  was  the  liege  lord  of  Sigurd. 
Gudrun,  white  with  wrath,  flashed  out  the  true  story  of  the  ride 
through  the  flames,  and  thrust  in  Brynhild's  face  the  Andvari  ring. 
Consumed  with  jealousy,  Brynhild  plotted  revenge.  She  loved 
Sigurd  still,  and  he,  since  he  had  regained  his  memory,  could  not 
overcome  his  love  for  her.  But  the  insult  from  Gudrun  Brynhild 
would  not  brook.  By  her  machinations,  Guttorm,  the  brother  of 
Gudrun,  was  incited  to  slay  Sigurd.  He,  accordingly,  stabbed  the 
hero  while  asleep,  but  Sigurd,  throwing  Gram  at  the  assassin,  cut 
him  in  twain  before  he  could  escape. 

Woe  me !  how  the  house  of  the  Niblungs  by  another  cry  was  rent, 

The  wakening  wail  of  Gudrun,  as  she  shrank  in  the  river  of  blood 

From  the  breast  of  the  mighty  Sigurd :  he  heard  it  and  understood, 

And  rose  up  on  the  sword  of  Guttorm,  and  turned  from  the  country  of  death, 

And  spake  words  of  loving-kindness  as  he  strove  for  life  and  breath ; 

"  Wail  not,  O  child  of  the  Niblungs !     I  am  smitten,  but  thou  shalt  live. 

In  remembrance  of  our  glory,  mid  the  gifts  the  gods  shall  give !  .   .  . 

...  It  is  Brynhild's  deed,"  he  murmured,  "  and  the  woman  that  loves  me 

well; 
Nought  now  is  left  to  repent  of,  and  the  tale  abides  to  tell. 
I  have  done  many  deeds  in  my  life-days,  and  all  these,  and  my  love,  they 

lie 
In  the  hollow  hand  of  Odin  till  the  day  of  the  world  go  by. 
I  have  done  and  I  may  not  undo,  I  have  given  and  I  take  not  again; 
Art  thou  other  than  I,  Allfather,  wilt  thou  gather  my  glory  in  vain  ?  " 


MYTHS   OF  NORSE  AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.      399 

So  ended  the  life  of  Sigurd.  Brynhild  grieved  a  season,  then 
dealt  herself  a  mortal  wound,  and  was  burned  on  the  funeral 
pyre  beside  Sigurd  the  Volsung. 

In  time  Gudrun  became  the  queen  of  Atli,  the  Budlung.  He, 
in  order  to  obtain  the  hoard  of  Sigurd,  which  had  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Niblungs,  —  Gudrun's  brothers,  —  bade  them 
visit  him  in  Hunland.  Fully  warned  by  Gudrun,  they  still  ac- 
cepted the  invitation,  and  arriving  at  the  hall  of  Atli,  were  after 
a  fearful  conflict  slain.  But  they  did  not  surrender  the  hoard  — 
that  lay  concealed  at  the  bottom  of  the  Rhine.  Gudrun  with  the 
aid  of  Niblung,  her  brother  Hogni's  son,  in  the  end  slew  Atli,  set 
fire  to  his  hall  and  brought  ruin  on  the  Budlung  folk.  Then  leap- 
ing mto  the  sea  she  was  borne  with  Swanhild,  her  daughter  by 
Sigurd,  to  the  realm  of  King  Jonakr,  who  became  her  third  hus- 
band. Swanhild,  "  fairest  of  all  women,  eager-eyed  as  her  father, 
so  that  few  durst  look  under  the  brows  of  her,"  —  met,  by  stress  of 
love  and  treachery,  a  foul  end  in  a  foreign  land,  trampled  under 
foot  of  horses. 

Finally  Gudrun  sent  her  sons  by  Jonakr  to  avenge  their 
half-sister's  death ;  and  so  bereft  of  all  her  kin,  and  consumed 
with  sorrow,  she  called  upon  her  ancient  lover,  Sigurd,  to 
come  and  look  upon  her,  as  he  had  promised,  from  his  abid- 
ing-place among  the  dead.  And  thus  had  the  words  of  her 
sorrow  an  end. 

Her  sons  slew  King  Jormunrek,  the  murderer  of  Swanhild,  but 
were  themselves  done  to  death,  by  the  counsel  and  aid  of  a  cer- 
tain man,  seeming  ancient  and  one-eyed,  —  Odin  the  forefather  of 
the  Volsungs, —  the  same  that  had  borne  Sigi  fellowship,  and  that 
struck  the  sword  into  Branstock  of  Volsung's  hall,  and  that  faced 
Sigmund  and  shattered  Gram  in  the  hour  of  Sigmund's  need,  and 
that  brought  Sigurd  the  matchless  horse  Greyfell,  and  oft  again 
had  appeared  to  the  kin  of  the  Volsungs ;  —  the  same  god  now 
wrought  the  end  of  the  Niblungs.  The  hoard  and  the  ring  of 
Andvari  had  brought  confusion  on  all  into  whose  hands  they 
fell. 


400  CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  EA'GLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  i86.  The  Lay  of  the  Nibelungs.^  —  In  the  German  version  of 
this  story  —  called  the  Nibelungenlied  —  certain  variations  of 
name,  incident,  and  character  appear.  Sigurd  is  Siegfried,  dwell- 
ing in  Xanten  near  the  Rhine,  the  son  of  Siegmund  and  Siege- 
iind,  king  and  queen  of  the  Netherlands.  Gudrun  is  Krierahild, 
sister  of  Gunther  (Gunnar),  king  of  the  Burgundians,  and 
niece  of  Hagen  (Hogni),  a  warrior  of  dark  and  sullen  mien, 
cunning,  but  withal  loyal  and  brave,  the  foe  of  the  glorious 
Siegfried.  Siegfried  weds  Kriemhild,  takes  her  to  the  Nether- 
lands and  lives  happily  with  her,  enjoying  the  moneys  of  the 
Nibelungen  hoard,  which  he  had  taken  not  from  a  dwarf,  as 
in  the  Norse  version,  but  from  two  princes,  the  sons  of  King 
Nibelung.  Meanwhile  Gunther  dwells  in  peace  in  the  Burgundian 
land,  husband  of  the  proud  Brunhild,  whom  Siegfried  had  won 
for  him  by  stratagem  not  altogether  unlike  that  of  the  Norse  story. 
For  the  Brunhild  of  the  Yssel-land  had  declared  that  she  would 
marry  no  man  save  him  who  should  surpass  her  in  athletic  contest. 
This  condition  Siegfried,  wearing  the  Tarnkappe,  a  cloak  that  ren- 
dered him  invisible,  had  fulfilled  for  Gunther.  He  had  also  succored 
poor  Gunther  after  his  marriage  with  Brunhild.  For  that  heroine, 
in  contempt  of  Gunther's  strength,  had  bound  him  hand  and  foot 
and  suspended  him  from  a  nail  on  their  bed-room  wall.  By 
agreement  Siegfried  had  again  assumed  Gunther's  form,  and  after 
a  fearful  tussle  with  the  queen  had  reduced  her  to  submission, 
taking  from  her  the  ring  and  girdle  which  were  the  secret  sources 
of  her  strength,  and  leaving  her  to  imagine  that  she  had  been  con- 
quered by  her  bridegroom,  Gunther.  The  ring  and  girdle  Sieg- 
fried had  bestowed  upon  Kriemhild,  unwisely  telling  her  at  the 
same  time  the  story  of  Brunhild's  defeat.  Although  the  Nibelun- 
genlied offers  no  explanation,  it  is  evident  that  the  injured  queen 
of  Yssel-land  had  recognized  Siegfried  during  this  ungallant 
intrigue ;  and  we  are  led  to  infer  that  there  had  been  some 
previous  acquaintance  and  passage  of  love  between  them. 

At  any  rate,  Siegfried  and  Kriemhild,  retiring  to  the  Nether- 

1  See  Commentary,  f  i86. 


MYTHS   OF  NORSE  AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.      401 

lands,  were  niling  happily  at  Xanten  by  the  Rhine ;  and  all  might 
have  continued  in  peace  had  not  Bnmhild  resented  the  lack  of 
homage  paid  by  Siegfried,  whom  she  had  been  led  to  regard  as 
a  vassal,  to  Gunther,  his  reputed  overlord. 

In  her  heart  this  thought  she  fostered,  deep  in  its  inmost  core;* 
That  still  they  kept  such  distance,  a  secret  grudge  she  bore. 
How  came  it  that  their  vassal  to  court  declined  to  go, 
Nor  for  his  land  did  homage,  she  inly  yearned  to  know. 

She  made  request  of  Gunther,  and  begged  it  so  might  be, 
That  she  the  absent  Kriemhild  yet  once  again  might  see. 
And  told  him,  too,  in  secret,  whereon  her  thoughts  were  bent,  — 
Then  with  the  words  she  uttered  her  lord  was  scarce  content. 

But  Gunther  yielded,  and  Siegfried  and  Kriemhild  are  invited 
to  Worms,  nominally  to  attend  a  high  festival. 

.  .  .  With  what  joy  and  gladness  welcomed  were  they  there ! 
It  seemed  when  came  dame  Brunhild  to  Burgundy  whilere. 
Her  welcome  by  dame  Kriemhild  less  tender  was  and  true; 
The  heart  of  each  beholder  beat  higher  at  the  view.  .  .  . 

Received  was  bold  Sir  Siegfried,  as  fitted  well  his  state. 
With  the  highest  honors;   no  man  bore  him  hate. 
Young  Giselher  and  Gemot  proffered  all  courtly  care; 
Never  met  friend  or  kinsman  reception  half  so  fair. 

One  day  at  the  hour  of  vespers  certain  knights  proved  them- 
selves at  tilting  in  the  regal  court-yard.  Conspicuous  among 
them  was  Siegfried.  Kriemhild,  looking  from  her  window,  said, 
"  He  surely  should  rule  these  realms  ;  "  Brunhild  answered,  "  So 
long  as  Gunther  lives  that  sure  can  never  be." 

.  .  .  Thereto  rejoined  fair  Kriemhild,  "  See'st  thou  how  proud  he  stands, 
How  proud  he  stalks,  conspicuous  among  those  warrior  bands. 
As  doth  the  moon  far-beaming  the  glimmering  stars  outshine? 
Sure  have  I  cause  to  pride  me  when  such  a  knight  is  mine." 

1  The  extracts  in  verse  are,  unless  other\vise  stated,  from  the  translation  by 
W.  N.  Lettsora,  London,  1890.    Werner  Hahn's  Uetiersetzung  has  also  t)een  used. 


402  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Thereto  replied  queen  Brunhild,  "  How  brave  soe'er  he  be, 
How  stout  soe'er  or  stately,  one  greater  is  than  he. 
Gunther,  thy  noble  brother,  a  higher  place  may  claim. 
Of  knights  and  kings  the  foremost  in  merit  and  in  fame." 

So  began  the  altercation.  It  attained  its  climax  the  same  day, 
when  each  queen  attempted  to  take  precedence  of  the  other  in 
entering  the  cathedral  for  the  celebration  of  the  mass. 

Both  met  before  the  minster  in  all  the  people's  sight; 
There  at  once  the  hostess  let  out  her  deadly  spite. 
Bitterly  and  proud  she  bade  fair  Kriemhild  stand; 
"  No  vassaless  precedeth  the  lady  of  the  land." 

Then,  full  of  wrath,  Kriemhild,  in  terms  anything  but  delicate, 
acquainted  her  haughty  sister-in-law  with  the  deception  that  had 
twice  been  practised  upon  her  by  Siegfried  and  Gunther;  nay, 
worse,  corroborated  her  statement  by  displaying  both  ring  and 
girdle  that  Brunhild  had  lost.  The  altercation  came  to  the  ears 
of  the  kings.     Gunther  made  complaint  to  Siegfried.     Then, 

..."  Women  must  be  instructed,"  said  Siegfried,  the  good  knight, 
"  To  leave  off  idle  talking  and  rule  their  tongues  aright. 
Keep  thy  fair  wife  in  order,  I'll  do  by  mine  the  same. 
Such  overweening  folly  puts  me  indeed  to  shame." 

But  it  was  too  late  to  mend  the  matter.  With  devilish  intent 
Brunhild  plotted  vengeance.  Siegfried,  the  author  of  her  mortifi- 
cation, must  die  the  death.  The  foes  of  Siegfried  persuaded  his 
wife,  unaware  of  their  design,  to  embroider  in  his  vesture  a  silken 
cross  over  the  one  spot  where  the  hero  was  vulnerable.  Then  the 
crafty  Hagen,  who  had  been  suborned  by  Brunhild  to  the  baleful 
deed,  bided  his  time.  One  day,  when  heated  by  running,  Gun- 
ther, Hagen,  and  Siegfried  stayed  by  a  brook  to  drink.  Hagen 
saw  his  chance. 

.  .  .  Then,  as  to  drink,  Sir  Siegfried  down  kneeling  there  he  found, 
He  pierced  him  through  the  croslet,  that  sudden  from  the  wound 
Forth  the  life-blood  spurted,  e'en  o'er  his  murderer's  weed. 
Nevermore  will  warrior  dare  so  foul  a  deed.  .  .  . 


MYTHS   OF  NORSE  AND    OLD    GERMAN  HEROES.     403 

.  .  .  With  blood  were  all  bedabbled  the  flowerets  of  the  field. 
Some  time  with  death  he  struggled  as  though  he  scorned  to  yield 
E'en  to  the  foe  whose  weapon  strikes  down  the  loftiest  head. 
At  last  prone  in  the  meadow  lay  mighty  Siegfried  dead. 

Brunhild  glories  in  the  fall  of  Siegfried  and  exults  over  the 
mourning  widow.  Kriemhild,  sitting  apart,  nurses  schemes  of 
vengeance.  Her  brothers  affect  to  patch  up  the  breach  in  order 
that  they  may  obtain  the  hoard  of  the  Nibelungs.  But  this  treas- 
ure, after  it  has  been  brought  to  Worms,  is  sunk,  for  precaution's 
sake,  by  Hagen,  in  the  Rhine.  Although  in  time  Kriemhild 
becomes  the  wife  of  King  Etzel  (Atli,  Attila)  of  Hunland,  still 
she  does  not  forget  the  injury  done  her  by  her  kin.  After  thirteen 
years  she  inveigles  her  brothers  and  their  retainers,  called  now 
Nibelungs  because  of  their  possession  of  the  hoard,  to  Etzel's 
Court,  where,  after  a  desperate  and  dastardly  encounter,  in  which 
their  hall  is  reduced  to  ashes,  they  are  all  destroyed  save  Gunther 
and  Hagen.  Gunther's  head  is  cut  off  at  her  orders ;  and  she 
herself,  with  Siegfried's  sword  Balmung,  severs  the  head  of  the 
hated  Hagen  from  his  body.  With  these  warriors  the  secret  of 
the  hidden  hoard  passes.  Kriemhild,  having  wreaked  her  ven- 
geance, falls  by  the  hand  of  one  of  her  husband's  knights,  Hilde- 
brand,  who,  with  Dietrich  of  Berne,  had  played  a  prominent  part 
among  the  associates  of  Kiiig  Etzel. 

"  I  cannot  say  you  now  what  hath  befallen  since; 
The  women  all  were  weeping,  and  the  Ritters  and  the  prince, 
Also  the  noble  squires,  their  dear  friends  lying  dead : 
Here  hath  the  story  ending;   this  is  the  Nibelungen's  Need."  ^ 

1  From  Carlyle's  translation  of  fragments  of  the  poem. 


COMMENTARY. 


COMMENTARY.^ 


[//  li  hoped  that  this  Commentary  may  be  useful  to  general  readers,  and  to  teachers  in 
the  secondary  schools,  as  viell  as  to  pupils.  The  section-numbers  correspond  with 
those  of  the  text  in  the  body  of  the  book.  The  letter  C  appended  to  a  number  indicates 
Commentary.^ 

§§  i-io.  For  information  concerning  mythical  characters  mentioned 
in  these  sections  —  such  as  Pandora,  Prometheus,  Endymion,  Artemis, 
Aphrodite,  Hermes,  Bellerophon  —  consult  Index  and  the  references  as  there 
indicated. 

§  II.  Homer  is  also  called  Melesigenes,  son  of  Meles  —  the  stream  on 
which  Smvrna  was  built.  The  Homeridae,  who  lived  on  Chios,  claimed  to  be 
descended  from  Homer.  They  devoted  themselves  to  the  cultivation  of  epic 
poetry. 

Arion.  —  See  George  Eliot's  poem  beginning 

"Anion,  whose  melodic  soul 
Taught  the  dithyramb  to  roll." 

Other  Greek  Poets  of  Mythology  to  be  noted  are  Callimachus  (260  b.c), 
whose  Lock  of  Berenice  is  reproduced  in  the  elegiacs  of  Catullus,  and  from 
whose  Origins  (of  sacred  rites)  Ovid  drew  much  of  his  information.  Also 
Nicander  (150  b.c),  whose  Transformations,  and  Parthenius,  whose  Meta- 
morphoses furnished  material  to  the  Latin  poet.  With  Theocritus  should  be 
read  Bion  and  Moschus,  both  exquisite  masters  of  the  idyl  and  elegy.  See 
Andrew  Lang's  translation  of  Theocritus,  Bion,  and  Moschus;  and  the  verses 
by  Dobson  and  Gosse  with  which  Lang  prefaces  the  translation.  Lycophron 
(260  B.C.)  wrote  a  poem  called  Alexandra,  on  the  consequences  of  the  voyage 
of  Paris  to  Sparta.  The  I^ves  of  Hero  and  Leander  were  probably  written 
by  a  grammarian,  Museeus,  as  late  as  5<X)  A.D.  This  poem  contains  admira- 
ble verses,  and  has  a  "  pretty  "  fancy. 

^  For  assistance  in  collecting  references  to  English  poetry  the  author  is  indebted 
to  Miss  M.  B.  Clayes,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  California. 

407 


408  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Translations  of  Greek  Poets.  — The  best  verse  translations  of  Homer  are 
those  of  Chapman,  Pope,  the  Earl  of  Derby,  and  Cowper. 

An  excellent  prose  translation  of  the  Iliad  is  that  of  Lang,  Leaf,  and  Myers 
(Macmillan  &  Co.)  Lond. :  1889;  of  the  Odyssey,  that  by  Butcher  and  Lang 
(Macmillan  &  Co.)  Lond. :  1883;  or  the  translation  into  rhythmical  prose  by 
G.  H.  Palmer  (Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.)  Boston,  1892. 

The  Tragic  Poets.  — Plumptre's  translations  of  ^-Eschylus  and  Sophocles 
(Routledge)  2  v.,  N.  V. :  1882;  Wodhull's  translation  of  Euripides  in  Morley's 
Universal  Library;  Potter's  .^chylus,  Francklin's  Sophocles,  Wodhull's  Euri- 
pides;   5  v.,  Lond. :   1809. 

Other  Poets.  —  Lang's  translation  of  Theocritus,  Bion,  and  Moschus. 
Pindar: — Odes,  transl.  by  F.  A.  Paley,  Lond.:  1868;  by  Ernest  Myers, 
Lond.:  1 874.  Translations  of  Greek  Lyric  Poets: — Collections  from  the 
Greek  Anthology,  by  Bland  and  Merivale,  Lond.:  1833  ;  The  Greek  Anthol- 
ogy, by  Lord  Neaves,  Anc.  Classics  for  Engl.  Readers  Series,  Lond.:  1874; 
Bohn's  Greek  Anthol.,  by  Burges,  Lond.:   1852. 

On  Homer,  Hesiod,  Theocritus,  the  tragic  poets,  Pindar,  etc.,  see,  also, 
Collins'  excellent  series  of  Ancient  Classics  for  English  Readers  (Lippincott, 
Phila.) ;  and  the  series  entitled  "  English  Translations  from  Ancient  and 
Modern  Poems,"  by  Various  Authors,  3  v.,  Lond.:  1810.  Of  yEschylus  read 
the  Prometheus  Bound,  to  illustrate  §§  25,  26;  the  Agamemnon,  Choephori, 
and  Eimienides,  to  illustrate  §§  167,  170;  and  the  Seven  against  Thebes,  for 
§  163.  Of  Sophocles  read  Qidipus  Rex,  CEdipus  at  Colonus,  Antigone, 
with  §  158,  etc.;  Electra,  with  §  170;  Ajax  and  Philoctetes,  with  the  Trojan 
War;  Women  of  Trachis,  with  §  143.  Of  Euripides  read  Medea,  Ion,  Alces- 
tis,  Iphigenia  in  Aulis  and  in  Tauris,  Electra.  Other  translations  of  /Eschylus, 
are  J.  S.  Blackie's :  1850;  T.  A.  Bucklie's  (Bohn):  Lond.:  1848;  E.  A.  A. 
Morshead's:  1881;  of  Sophocles,  Thos.  Dale's,  into  verse,  2  v.,  1824; 
R.  \Vhitelaw's,  into  verse,  1883;  the  Oxford  Translators',  into  prose  (Bohn)  : 
1863;   of  Euripides,  T.  A.  Bucklie's  (Bohn)  2  v.,  Lond.:   1854-58. 

§  12.  Roman  Poets.  —  Horace  (65  b.c.)  in  his  Odes,  Epodes,  and  Satires 
makes  frequent  reference  and  allusion  to  the  common  stock  of  mythology, 
sometimes  telling  a  whole  stor>',  as  that  of  the  daughters  of  Danaiis.  Catullus 
(87  B.C.),  the  most  original  of  Roman  love-poets,  gives  us  the  Nuptials  of 
Peleus  and  Thetis  (for  selections  in  English  hexameters,  see  §§  153  and 
165  rt),  the  Lock  of  Berenice,  and  the  Atys.  Manilius  of  the  age  of  Augustus 
wrote  a  poem  on  Astronomy,  which  contains  a  philosophic  statement  of  star- 
myths.  Valerius  Flaccus  (d.  88  a.d.)  based  his  Argonautics  upon  the  poem 
of  that  name  by  Apollonius  of  Rhodes.  Statins  (61  a.d.)  revived  in  the  bril- 
liant verses  of  hisThebaid  and  his  Achilleid  the  epic  myths  and  epic  machinery, 
but  not  the  vigor  and  naturalness  of  the  ancient  style.     To  a  prose  writer, 


COMMENT  A  R  Y.  409 

Hyginus,  who  lived  on  terms  of  close  intimacy  with  Ovid,  a  fragmentary 
work  called  the  Book  of  Fables,  which  is  sometimes  a  useful  source  of 
information,  and  four  books  of  Poetical  Astronomy,  have  been  attributed. 
The  works,  as  we  have  them,  could  not  have  been  written  by  a  friend  of  the 
cultivated  Ovid. 

Translations  and  .Studies.  —  For  a  general  treatment  of  the  great  poets 
of  Rome,  the  student  is  referred  to  W.  L.  Collins'  Series  of  Anc.  Classics  for 
Engl.  Readers  (Lippincott,  Phila.).  For  the  Cupid  and  Psyche  of  Apuleius, 
read  Walter  Pater's  Marius  the  Epicurean,  Lond.  :  1885.  Of  translations, 
the  following  are  noteworthy :  Ovid :  —  the  Metamorphoses,  by  Dryden, 
Addison,  and  others;  into  English  blank  verse  by  Ed.  King,  Exlin. :  1871; 
transl.  by  Riley,  Lond.:  185I;  Englished  by  Geo.  Sandys,  Lond.:  1660. 
Vergil's  ^Eneid,  translations: — into  verse  by  John  Conington,  Lond.:  1873; 
into  dactylic  hexameter  by  Oliver  Crane,  N.Y. :  1888;  the /Eneids  into  verse 
by  Wm.  Morris,  Lond. :  1876;  Bks.  1-4,  by  Stanyhurst,  1582  (Arber's  Reprint); 
itneis,  by  Dr)'den.  Catullus:  transl.  by  Robinson  Ellis,  Lond. :  1871;  by  Sir 
Theodore  Martin,  Edin. :  1875.  Horace:  transl.  by  Theodore  Martin,  Edin. : 
i88i;  by  Smjtrt,  Lond. :  1853;  Odes  and  Epodes  in  Calverley's  translations, 
Lond.:  1866;  Odes,  etc.,  by  Conington,  Lond.:  1872;  Odes  and  Epodes, 
by  Lord  Lytton,  N.Y. :   1870. 

§  13.  For  Scandinavian  literature,  see  foot-notes  to  pp.  30-33  and  ref- 
erences in  §  185  C. 

Runes  were  "  the  letters  of  the  alphabets  used  by  all  the  old  Teutonic  tribes 
.  .  .  The  letters  were  even  considered  magical,  and  cast  into  the  air  written 
separately  upon  chips  or  spills  of  wood,  to  fall,  as  fate  determined,  on  a  cloth, 
and  then  be  read  by  the  interpreters  .  .  .  The  association  of  the  runic  letters 
with  heathen  mysteries  and  superstition  caused  the  first  Christian  teachers  to 
discourage,  and,  indeed,  as  far  as  possible,  suppress  their  use.  They  were, 
therefore,  superseded  by  the  Latin  alphabet,  which  in  First  English  was  sup- 
plemented by  retention  of  two  of  the  runes,  named  '  thorn '  and  '  wen,'  to 
represent  sounds  of  *  th '  and  '  w,'  for  which  the  I^tin  alphabet  had  no  letters 
pronded.  Each  rune  was  named  after  some  object  whose  name  began  with 
the  sound  represented.  The  first  letter  was  F,  Feoh,  money;  the  second  U, 
Ur,  a  bull;  the  third  Th,  Thorn,  a  thorn;  the  fourth  O,  Os,  the  mouth;  the 
fifth  R,  Rad,  a  saddle;  the  sixth  C,  Cen,  a  torch;  and  the  six  sounds  being 
joined  together  make  Futhorc,  which  is  the  name  given  to  the  runic  A  B  C." 
Morley's  English  Writers,  i :  267.  See  also  Vigfusson  and  Powell's  Corpus 
Poeticum  Boreale,  2:  691,  under  Runes  and  Rune-stones;  Cleasby's  Icelandic- 
English  Dictionar\";  and  George  Stephens'  Old  Northern  Runic  Monuments, 
2  V.,  Lond.:  1866-68. 

§  14.   For  Translations  of  the  Nibelungenlied,  see  §  185  C.    For  other 


410  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

German  lays  of  myth,  the  Gudrun,  the  Great  Rose  Garden,  the  Horned 
Siegfried,  etc.,  see  Vilmar's  Geschichte  der  deutschen  National-Litteratur, 
42-101,  Leipz. :  1886.  See  also,  in  general,  Grimm's  Deutsche  Mythologie, 
Gottingen:  1855;  Ludlow's  Popular  Epics  of  the  Middle  Ages,  2  v.,  Lond. : 
1865;  George  T.  Dippold's  Great  Epics  of  Mediaeval  Germany,  Boston: 
1891. 

§  15.  Translations  and  Studies  of  Oriental  Myths  and  Sacred  Writ- 
ings.—  Egyptian.  See  Birch's  Guide  to  the  First  and  Second  Egyptian 
Rooms,  British  Museum;  Miss  A.  B.  Edwards'  A  Thousand  Miles  up  the  Nile, 
Lend.:   1876. 

For  the  principal  divinities,  see  Index  to  this  work. 

Indian.  —  Max  Miiller's  translation  of  the  Rig-Veda-Sanhita;  Sacred  Books 
of  the  East,  35  vols.,  edited  by  Max  Miiller,  —  the  Upanishads,  Bhagavadgita, 
Institutes  of  Vishnu,  etc.,  translated  by  various  scholars,  Oxford:  1874-90; 
Miiller's  History  of  Sanskrit  Literature,  Lond.:  1859;  Weber's  History  of 
Indian  Literature,  Lond.:  1878;  H.  H.  Wilson's  Rig-Veda-Sanhita,  6  v., 
Lond. :  1850-70;  Muir's  Sanskrit  Texts,  and  his  Principal  Deities  of  the  Rig- 
Veda,  5  v.,  Lond. :  1868-73;  J.  Freeman  Clarke's  Ten  Great  Religions,  Boston : 
1880;  the  MahSbharata,  translated  by  Protap  Chundra  Roy,  Nos.  1-76,  Cal- 
cutta: 1883-93.  See  Indian  Idylls  by  Edwin  Arnold.  The  Episode  of  Nala 
—  Nalopakhyanam  —  translated  by  Monier  Williams,  Oxford :  1879.  Of  the 
RamSyana,  a  paraphrase  (in  brief)  is  given  by  F.  Richardson  in  the  Iliad  of 
the  East,  Lond.  :  1870.  E.  A.  Reed's  Hindu  Literature,  with  translations, 
Chicago:  1891;  W.  Ward's  History,  Literature,  and  Mythology  of  the  Hin- 
doos, 3  vols.,  Lond.:  1822.  On  Buddhism,  read  Sir  Edwin  Arnold's  Light  of 
Asia. 

For  the  chief  divinities  of  the  Hindus,  see  Index  to  this  work. 

Persian.  —  J.  Freeman  Clarke's  Ten  Great  Religions;  Johnson's  Oriental 
Religions;  Haug's  Essays  on  the  Sacred  Language,  Literature,  etc.,  of  the 
Parsis,  by  E.  W.  West,  Boston :  1879.  In  illustration  should  be  read  Moore's 
Fire- Worshippers  in  Lalla  Rookh. 

§16.  Chaos:  a  gap.  Compare  the  "  Beginning  Gap  "  of  Norse  mythology. 
Eros  :  a  yearning.     Erebus :  black,  from  root  meaning  to  cover. 

§  1 7.  Uranus  (Greek  Ouranos)  corresponds  with  the  name  of  the  Indian 
divinity  Varunas,  root  var,  to  ewer.  Uranus  is  the  starry  vault  that  covers  the 
earth ;  Varunas  became  the  rain-giving  sky.  Titan :  the  honorable,  powerful ; 
the  king;  later,  the  signification  was  limited  to  the  sun.  Oceanus  probably 
va^2Xi%  flood.  Tethys:  the  nourisher,  nurse.  Hyperion:  the  wanderer  on 
I  high;  the  sun.  Thea:  the  beautiful,  shining;  the  moon.  She  is  called  by 
Homer  Euryphaessa,  the  far-shining.  Japetus:  the  sender,  hurler,  wounder; 
compare    the    Hebrew    Japhet.     Themis :    that  which  is  established,  law. 


COMMENTARY.  411 

Mnemosyne :   memory.     Other  Titans  were  Coeus  and  Phcebe,  figurative  of 
the  radiant  lights  of  heaven ;    Crelis  and  Eurybie,  mighty  powers,  probably 
of  the  sea;   OphTon,  the  mighty  serpent,  and  Euryn?5me,  the  far-ruling,  who, « 
according  to  ApoUonius  of  Rhodes,  held  sway  over  the  Titans  until  Cronus  |  " 
cast  them  into  the  Ocean,  or  into  Tartarus. 

Cronus  (Greek  Kronos)  is,  as  his  name  shows,  the  god  of  ripening,  harvest,  I 
maturity.  Rhea  comes  from  Asia  Minor,  and  was  there  worshipped  as  the 
Mother  Earth,  dwelling  creative  among  the  mountains.  Cronus  (^Kronos)  has 
been  naturally,  but  wrongly,  identified  with  Chronos,  the  personification  of 
lime,  which,  as  it  brings  all  things  to  an  end,  devours  its  own  offspring;  and 
also  with  the  Latin  Saturn,  who,  as  a  god  of  agriculture  and  harvest,  was 
represented  with  pruning-knife  in  hand,  and  regarded  as  the  lord  of  an  ancient 
golden  age. 

The  three  Cyclopes  were  Brontes,  Steropes,  and  Arges.  Cyclops  means 
the  round-eyed.  The  Hecatonchires  were  Uriare^s,  the  strong,  called  also 
iEgseon  (see  21  C);  Cottus,  the  striker;  Gyes  (or  Gyges),  the  vaulter,  or 
crippler.  Gyges  is  called  by  Horace  (Carm.  2,  17:  14)  Centimanus,  —  the 
hundred-handed. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  in  Paradise  Lost  10 :  581,  refers  to  the  tradition  ofj  ^,t,t«r< 
Ophion  and^Eurynome,  who  "  had  first  the  rule  of  high  Olympus,  thence  by ' 
Saturn  driven."     Hyperion :    see  Shakespeare's  Hamlet,  "  Hyperion's  curls,  . 
the  front  of  Jove  himself."     Also  Hen.  V.  4:  I;    Troil.  and  Cressida  2:3;       ^ 
Titus  Andron.  5:3;    Gray,    Prog,  of   Poesy,  "Hyperion's   march   they  spy, 
and  glittering  shafts  of  war";   Spenser,  Prothalamion,  "  Hot  Titans  beames." 
On   Oceanus,  Ben  Jonson,  Neptune's  Triumph.     On   Saturn,  see   Shake- 
speare,   Much   Ado    1:3;    2    Hen.    IV.    2:4;    Cymbeline    2:5;    Titus   An- 
dron. 2:3  and  4:3;    Milton,  P.  L.  1:512,  519,  583,  and  II  Penseroso  24. 
See  Robert    Buchanan,   Cloudland,    "One   like   a  Titan  cold,"  etc.;   Keats, 
Hyperion. 

In  Art.  —  Helios  (Hyperion)  rising  from  the  sea:  sculpture  of  eastern 
pediment  of  the  frieze  of  the  Parthenon  (British  Museum). 

§  18.    Homer  makes  Jupiter  (Zeus)    the  oldest  of  the  sons  of  Cronus;  ^ 
Hesiod  makes  him  the. youngest,  in  accordance  with  a  widespread  savage     4 
custom  which  makes  the  youngest  child  heir  in  chief.  —  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  1 
etc.,  1 :  297.     According  to  other  legends  Zeus  was  born  in  Arcadia,  or  even 
in  Epirus  at  Dodona,  where  was  his  sacred  grove.     He  was  in  either  case 
reared  by  the  nymphs  of  the  locality.     According  to  Hesiod,  Theog.  730,  he 
was  born  in  a  cave  of  Mount  Dicte,  in  Crete. 

§  19.  Atlas,  according  to  other  accounts,  was  not  doomed  to  support  the 
heavens  until  after  his  encounter  with  Perseus.     See  §  136. 

§  21.   See  Milton's  Christ's  Nativity,  "Nor  Typhon  huge  ending  in  snaky  |    «- 


412  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

\   twine."     The  monster  is  also  called  Typhoeus  (Hesiod,  Theog.   1137).    The 
I  name  means  to  smoke,  to  burn.      The  monster  personifies  liery  vapors  pro- 
ceeding from  subterranean  places.     Other  famous  Giants  were  Mimas,  Poly- 
botes,   Ephialtes,    Rhoetus,  Clytius.      See  Preller,  i  :  60.      Briareus  (really  a 
Centimanus)  is  frequently  ranked  among  the  giants. 
\U'Xo±,      Illustrative.  —  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida  i :  2;  Milton,  P.  L.  i :  199; 
Pope,  Dunciad  4:  66.     For  giants,  in  general,  see  P.  L.  3 :  464;    11 :  642,  688; 
Samson  Agonistes,  148. 
I        §§  22-25.   Prometheus :  forethought.     Epimetheus :  afterthought.    The 
I  secret    preserved   by   Prometheus    was    to    the    effect    that,    in    time,    Jupi- 
ter  and   his   dynasty  should    be   overthrown.      Prometheus  knew  also  that 
he  would  be   released  from  chains  by  one  of  his  descendants  in  the  thir- 
teenth   generation.      This    deliverer    was    Hercules,   son    of    Alcmene   and 
Jupiter.     Sicyon  (or  Mecone)  :  a  city  of  the  Peloponnesus,  near  the  Isthmus 
of  Corinth. 
I        Illustrative.  — Milton,  P.  L.,  "  More  lovely  than  Pandora  whom  the  gods 
1    endowed  with  all  their  gifts." 

Poems.  —  D.  G.  Rossetti,  Pandora;  Longfellow,  Masque  of  Pandora; 
Thos.  Parnell,  Hesiod,  or  the  Rise  of  Woman.  Prometheus,  by  Byron, 
Lowell,  H.  Coleridge;  Prometheus  Bound,  by  Mrs.  Browning;  translations 
of  .-Eschylus,  Prometheus  Bound,  Augusta  Webster,  E.  H.  Plumptre;  Shelley, 
Prometheus  Unbound;  R.  H.  Home,  Prometheus,  the  Fire-bringer.  See 
Byron's  Ode  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  The  Golden  Age :  Chaucer,  The 
Former  Age  {yEtas  Prima). 

In  Art. — Ancient:  Prometheus  Unbound,  vase  picture  (^Monuments  Ine- 
dits :  Rome  and  Paris).  Modern:  Thorwaldsen's  sculpture,  Minerva  and 
Prometheus;   Sichel's  painting.  Pandora. 

§  26.  Dante  (Durante)  degli  Alighieri  was  born  in  Florence,  1265. 
Banished  by  his  political  opponents  1302,  he  remained  in  exile  until  his  death, 
which  took  place  in  Ravenna,  1321.  His  Vita  Nitova  (New  Life),  recount- 
ing his  ideal  love  for  Beatrice  Portinari,  was  written  between  1290  and  1300; 
his  great  poem,  the  Divina  Commedia  (the  Divine  Comedy)  consisting  of 
three  parts,  —  Inferno,  Purgatorio,  Paradiso,  —  during  the  years  of  his  exile. 
Of  the  Divine  Comedy,  says  Lowell,  "  It  is  the  real  history  of  a  brother  man, 
of  a  tempted,  purified,  and  at  last  triumphant  human  soul."  John  Milton 
(b.  1608)  was  carried  by  the  stress  of  the  civil  war,  1641-1649,  away  from 
poetry,  music,  and  the  art  which  he  had  sedulously  cultivated,  into  the  stormy 
sea  of  politics  and  war.  Perhaps  the  severity  of  his  later  sonnets  and  the 
sublimity  of  his  Paradise  Lost,  Paradise  Regained,  and  Samson  Agonistes  are 
the  fruit  of  the  stern  years  of  controversy  through  which  he  lived,  not  as  a 
poet,  but  as  a  statesman  and  a  pamphleteer.     Cervantes  C1547-1616),  the 


COMMENTARY.  413 

author  of  the  greatest  of  Spanish  romances,  Don  Quixote.  His  life  was  full 
of  adventure,  privation,  suffering,  with  but  brief  seasons  of  happiness  and 
renown.  He  distinguished  himself  at  the  battle  of  Lepanto,  1571 ;  but  in  1575, 
being  captured  by  Algerine  cruisers,  he  remained  five  years  in  harsh  captivity. 
After  his  return  to  Spain  he  was  neglected  by  those  in  power.  For  full  twenty 
years  he  struggled  for  his  daily  liread.  Don  Quixote  was  published  in  and 
after  1605.  Corybantes:  the  priests  of  Cybele,  whose  festivals  were  vio- 
lent, and  whose  worship  consisted  of  dances  and  noise  suggestive  of  battle, 

§  28.  Astrsea  was  placed  among  the  stars  as  the  constellation  Virgo,  the  vir- 
gin. Her  mother  was  Themis  (Justice).  Astraea  holds  aloft  a  pair  of  scales,  in 
which  she  weighs  the  conflicting  claims  of  parties.  The  old  poets  prophesied  a 
return  of  these  goddesses  and  of  the  Golden  Age.     See  also  Pope's  Messiah,  — 

"  All  crimes  shall  cease,  and  ancient  fraud  shall  iu\. 
Returning  Justice  lift  aloft  her  scale  "  ; 

and  Milton's  Hymn  to  the  Nativity,  14,  15.  In  P.  L.  4 :  998,  et  seq.,  is  a  dif- 
ferent conception  of  the  golden  scales,  "betwixt  Astraea  and  the  Scorpion 
sign." 

§  29.  Illustrative.  —  B.  W.  Proctor,  the  Flood  of  Thessaly.  See  Ovid's 
famous  narrative  of  the  Four  Ages  and  the  Flood,  Metamorphoses  1 :  89-415. 
Deucalion  :  Bayard  Taylor's  Prince  Deukalion;   Milton,  P.  L.  II  :  12. 

Interpretative. — This  myth  combines  two  stories  of  the  origin  of  the 
Hellenes,  or  indigenous  Greeks,  —  one,  in  accordance  with  which  the  Hellenes, 
as  earth-born,  claimed  descent  from  P)'rrha  (the  red  earth) ;  the  other  and 
older,  by  which  Deucalion  was  represented  as  the  only  survivor  of  the  flood, 
but  still  the  founder  of  the  race  (in  Greek  /aJj),  which  he  created  by  casting 
stones  (in  Greek  Mes)  behind  him.  The  myth,  therefore,  proceeds  from 
an  unintended  pun.  Although,  finally,  P>'rrha  was  by  myth- makers  made 
the  wife  of  Deucalion,  the  older  myth  of  the  origin  of  the  race  from  stones 
was  preserved.     See  Max  Muller,  Sci.  Relig.,  Lond. :   1873,  p.  64. 

§  30.  For  genealogy  of  the  race  of  Inachus,  Phoroneus,  Pelasgus,  and  lo, 
see  §  59  C.  Pelasgus  is  frequently  regarded  as  the  grandson,  not  the  son, 
of  Phoroneus.  For  the  descendants  of  Deucalion  and  Hellen,  see  §  132  (5) 
of  this  commentary. 

§  31.  In  the  following  genealogical  table  (A),  the  names  of  the  great  gods 
of  Olympus  are  printed  in  heavy-face.  Latin  forms  of  names  or  Latin  sub- 
stitutes are  used. 

Illustrative.  —  On  the  Gods  of  Greece,  see  E.  A.  Bowring's  translation 
of  Schiller's  Die  Cotter  GrieckcnlanJs  and  Bayard   Taylor's  Masque  of  the 


414 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERA  TURE. 


F-S. < 


H 

►J 

03 


•— S—  o 


•5     P 

'5*        "^ 

W        II 


I 

o 


o 


-§ 


Gods.  On  Olympus,  see  Lewis  Morris, 
the  Epic  of  Hades.  Allusions  abound ;  e.g. 
Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida  3:3;  Jul. 
Cses.  3:1;  4:3;  Hamlet  5:1;  Milton,  P. 
L.  1:516;  7:7;  10:583;  Pope,  Rape  of 
the  Lock  5  :  48;  Windsor  Forest,  33,  234; 
E.  C.  Stedman,  News  from  Olympia.  See 
also  E.  W.  Gosse,  Greece  and  England  (On 
Viol  and  Flute). 

§  32,  The  Olympian  Gods. —There 
were,  according  to  Mr.  Gladstone  (No. 
Am.  Rev.  April,  1892),  about  twenty  Olym- 
pian deities ;!  (i)  The  five  really  great 
gods,  Zeus,  Hera,  Posidon,  Apollo,  and 
Athene ;  (2)  Hephaestus,  Ares,  Hermes, 
Iris,  Leto,  Artemis,  Themis,  Aphrodite, 
Dione,  Pseeon  (or  Pseon),  and  Hebe,  — 
also  usually  present  among  the  assembled 
immortals;  (3)  Demeter,  Persephone, 
Dionysus,  and  Thetis,  whose  claims  are 
more  or  less  obscured.  According  to  the 
same  authority,  the  Distinctive  Qualities 
of  the  Homeric  Gods  were  as  follows: 
(i)  they  were  immortal;  (2)  they  were 
incorporated  in  human  form;  (3)  they  en- 
joyed power  far  exceeding  that  possessed 
by  mortals;  (4)  they  were,  however  (with 
the  possible  exception  of  Athene,  who  is 
never  ignorant,  never  deceived,  never  baf- 
fled), all  liable  to  certain  Hmitations  of 
energy  and  knowledge;  (5)  they  were 
subject  also  to  corporeal  wants  and  to 
human  affections.  The  Olympian  Re- 
ligion, as  a  whole,  was  more  careful  of 
nations,  states,  public  affairs,  than  of  indi- 
viduals and  individual  character;  and  in 
this  respect,  according  to  Mr.  Gladstone, 
it  differs  from  Christianity.  He  holds,  how- 
ever, that  despite  the  occasional  immorali- 
ties of  the  gods,  their  general  government 

1  For  Latin  names,  see  Index,  or  Chaps. 
V.-VIII. 


COMMENTAR  Y.  415 

not  only  "  makes  for  righteousness,"  but  is  addressed  to  the  end  of  render- 
ing it  triumphant.  Says  Zeus,  for  instance,  in  the  Olympian  assembly,  "  Men 
complain  of  us  the  gods,  and  say  that  we  are  the  source  from  whence  ills 
proceed;  but  they  likewise  themselves  suffer  woes  outside  the  course  of 
destiny,  through  their  own  perverse  offending."  But,  beside  this  general 
effort  for  the  triumph  of  right,  there  is  little  to  be  said  in  abatement  of  the 
general  proposition  that,  whatever  be  their  collective  conduct,  the  common 
speech  of  the  gods  is  below  the  human  level  in  point  of  morality.* 

§  "ifl.  Zeus.  —  In  Sanskrit  Dyaits,  in  Latin  Jovis,  in  German  Tiu.  The 
same  name  for  the  Almighty  (the  Light  or  Sky)  used  probably  thousands  of 
years  before  Homer,  or  the  Sanskrit  Bible  (the  Vedas).  It  is  not  merely  the 
blue  sky,  nor  the  sky  personified,  —  not  merely  worship  of  a  natural  phe- 
nomenon,—  but  of  the  Father  who  is  in  Heaven.  So  in  the  Vedas  we  find 
Zeus  pilar ^  in  the  Greek  Zeu  pater,  in  Latin  Jupiter  —  all  meaning  Heaven- 
father. —  Max  Muu-ER,  Sci.  Relig.  171,  172.  Oracle:  the  word  signifies  also 
the  answers  given  at  the  shrine. 

Illustrative.  —  Allusions  to  Jove  on  every  other  page  of  Milton,  Dryden, 
Prior,  Gray,  and  any  poet  of  the  Elizabethan  and  Augustan  periods.  On  the 
Love  Affairs  of  Jupiter  and  the  other  gods,  Milton,  Paradise  Regained  2  :  182. 
Dodona  :  Tennyson's  Talking  Oak  :  — 

"  That  Thessalian  growth  on  which  the  swarthy  ring-dove  sat 
And  mystic  sentence  spoke,"  etc. 

Poem :  Lewis  Morris,  Zeus,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades. 

In  Art.  —  Beside  the  representations  of  Jupiter  noted  in  the  text  .may 
be  mentioned  that  on  the  eastern  frieze  of  the  Parthenon;  the  Jupiter  Otricoli 
in  the  Vatican;  also  the  Jupiter  and  Juno  (painting)  by  Annibale  Carracci; 
the  Jupiter  (sculpture)  by  Benvenuto  Cellini. 

§  34.  Juno  was  called  by  the  Romans  Juno  Lucina,  the  special  goddess 
of  childbirth.  In  her  honor  wives  held  the  festival  of  the  Matronalia  on  the 
first  of  March  of  each  year.  The  Latin  Juno  is  for  Diou-n-on,  from  the  stem 
Diove,  and  is  the  feminine  parallel  of  Jovis,  just  as  the  Greek  Dione  (one  of 
the  loves  of  Zeus)  is  the  feminine  of  Zeus.  These  names  (and  Diana, 
too)  come  from  the  root  div,  to  shine,  to  illumine.  There  are  many  points  of 
resemblance  between  the  Italian  Juno  and  the  Greek  Dione  (identified  with 
Hera,  as  Hera-Dione).  Both  are  goddesses  of  the  moon,  of  women,  of  mar- 
riage; to  both  the  cow  (with  moon-crescent  horns)  is  sacred.  (See  Roscher, 
21 :  576-579-) 

1  The  Olympian  Religion  (N.  A.  Rev.  May,  1892).  See  also  his  Juventus 
Afundi. 


416  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Illustrative.  — W.  S.  Landor,  Hymn  of  Terpander  to  Juno;  Lewis  Morris, 
Here,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades. 

In  Art.  —  Of  the  statues  of  Juno  the  most  celebrated  was  that  made  by 
Polyclitus  for  her  temple  between  Argos  and  Mycenas.  It  was  of  gold  and 
ivory.  (See  Paus.  2.  1 7.  4.)  The  goddess  was  seated  on  a  throne  of  magnifi- 
cent proportions;  she  wore  a  crown  upon  which  were  figured  the  Graces  and 
the  Hours;  in  one  hand  she  held  a  pomegranate,  in  the  other  a  sceptre 
surmounted  by  a  cuckoo.  Of  the  extant  representations  of  Juno  the  most 
famous  are  the  torso  in  Vienna  from  Ephesus,  the  Barberini  in  the  Vatican 
at  Rome,  the  bronze  statuette  in  the  Cabinet  of  Coins  and  Antiquities 
in  Vienna,  the  Farnese  bust  in  the  National  Museum  in  Naples,  the  Ludov- 
isi  bust  in  the  villa  of  that  name  in  Rome  (reproduced  in  the  text),  the  Pom- 
peian  wall-painting  of  the  marriage  of  Zeus  and  Hera  (given  by  Baumeister, 
Denkmaler  i.  649;  see  also  Roscher  13:  2127),  and  the  Juno  of  Lanuviura. 

§  35.  Athene  has  some  characteristics  of  the  warlike  kind  in  common 
with  the  Norse  Valkyries,  but  she  is  altogether  a  more  ideal  conception.  The 
best  description  of  the  goddess  will  be  found  in  Homer's  Iliad,  Bk.  5  :  730 
et  seq. 

The  derivation  of  Athene  is  uncertain  (Preller).  Related,  say  some,  to 
(Ether,  aidiip,  the  clear  upper  air;  say  others,  to  the  word  anthos,  iudos,  a 
flower  —  virgin  bloom;  or  (see  Roscher,  684)  to  a/Aer,  ad-fip,  spear  point. 
Max  Miiller  derives  Athene  from  the  root  ah,  which  yields  the  Sanskrit  Ahana 
and  the  Greek  Daphne,  the  Dawn.  Hence  Athene  is  the  Dawn-goddess;  but 
she  is  also  the  goddess  of  wisdom,  because  "  the  goddess  who  caused  people 
to  wake  was  involuntarily  conceived  as  the  goddess  who  caused  people  to 
know"  (Science  of  Language,  i :  548-551). 

Epithets  applied  to  Athene  are  the  bright-eyed,  the  gray-eyed,  the  aegis- 
bearing,  the  unwearied  daughter  of  Zeus. 

The  festival  of  the  Panathenaea  was  celebrated  at  Athens,  yearly,  in  com- 
memoration of  the  goddess's  victory  over  the  giants.     (See  §§  152-157  C.) 

The  name  Pallas  characterizes  the  goddess  as  the  hrandisher  of  lightnings. 
Her  Palladium  — or  sacred  image  — holds  always  high  in  air  the  brandished 
lance. 

Minerva,  or  Menerva,  is  connected  with  Latin  mens,  Greek  mhios,  San- 
skrit manas,  mind;  also  with  the  Latin  inane,  morning.  The  relation  is  here 
again  possible  between  the  awakening  of  the  day  and  the  awakening  of 
thought  (Max  MuUer,  as  above,  i :  552). 

For  the  meaning  of  the  Gorgon,  see  Commentary  on  the  myth  of  Perseus. 

Illustrative.  —  Byron,  Childe  Harold  4:96,  the  eloquent  passage  begin- 
ning, — 


COMMENTARY.  417 

"  Can  tyrants  but  by  tyrants  conquered  be, 

And  Freedom  find  no  champion  and  no  child, 
Such  as  Columbia  saw  arise,  when  she 
Sprung  forth  a  Pallas,  armed  and  undefiled?  " 

Shakespeare,  Tempest  4:1;  As  You  Like  It  1:3;  Winter's  Tale  4:3; 
Pericles  2:3;  Milton,  P.  L.  4:  yxi;  Comus  701;  Arcades  23;  Lewis  Morris' 
Athene,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;  Byron's  Childe  Harold  2:1-15,  87>  9'; 
Kuskin's  Lectures  entitled  "The  Queen  of  the  Air"  (Athene)  Thos.  Wool- 
ner's  Pallas  Athene,  in  Tiresias. 

In  Art. — The  Hnest  of  the  statues  of  this  goddess  was  by  Phidias,  in  the 
Parthenon,  or  temple  of  Minerva,  at  Athens.  The  Minerva  of  the  Parthenon 
has  disappeared ;  but  there  is  good  ground  to  believe  that  we  have,  in  several 
extant  statues  and  busts,  the  artist's  conception.  The  figure  is  characterized  by 
grave  and  dignified  beauty,  and  freedom  from  any  transient  expression;  in  other 
words,  by  repose.  The  most  important  copy  extant  is  of  the  Roman  period. 
The  goddess  was  represented  standing;  in  one  hand  a  spear,  in  the  other 
a  statue  of  Victory.  Her  helmet,  highly  decorated,  was  surmounted  by  a 
Sphinx.  (See  figure,  §  1 72.)  The  statue  was  forty  feet  in  height,  and,  like 
the  Jupiter,  composed  of  ivory  and  gold.  The  eyes  were  of  marble,  and 
probably  painted  to  represent  the  iris  and  pupil.  The  Parthenon,  in  which 
this  statue  stood,  was  also  constructed  under  the  direction  and  superintendence 
of  Phidias.  Its  exterior  was  enriched  with  sculptures,  many  of  them  from 
the  hand  of  the  same  artist.  The  Elgin  Marbles  now  in  the  British  Museum 
are  a  part  of  them.  Also  remarkable  are  the  Minerva  Bellica  (Capitol,  Rome) ; 
the  Athene  of  the  Acropolis  Museum;  the  Minerva  of  the  ^^igina  Marbles 
(Glyptothek,  Munich) ;  the  Minerva  Medica  (Vatican) ;  the  Athene  of  Vel- 
letri  in  the  Louvre.  (See  §  35,  figure  2.)  In  modern  sculpture,  especially 
excellent  are  Thorwaldsen's  Minerva  and  Prometheus,  and  Cellini's  Minerva 
(on  the  base  of  his  Perseus).  In  modern  painting,  Tintoretto's  Minerva 
defeating  Mars. 

§  36.  While  the  I.atin  god  Mars  corresponds  with  Ares,  he  has  also  not  a  few 
pointsof  similarity  with  the  Greek  Phoebus;  for  both  names.  Mars  and  Phoebus, 
indicate  the  quality  shining.  In  Rome,  the  Campus  Martius  (field  of  Mars) 
was  sacred  to  this  deity.  Here  military  manoeuvres  and  athletic  contests 
took  place;  here  Mars  was  adored  by  sacrifice,  and  here  stood  his  temple, 
where  his  priests,  the  Salii,  watched  over  the  sacred  spear  and  the  shield, 
Ancile,  that  fell  from  heaven  in  the  reign  of  Numa  Pompilius.  Generals 
supplicated  Mars  for  victory,  and  dedicated  to  him  the  spoils  of  war.  See 
Roscher,  478, 486,  on  the  fundamental  significance,  philosophical  and  physical, 
of  Ares.  On  the  derivation  of  the  Latin  name  Mars,  see  Roscher  (end  of 
article  on  .\pollo). 


418  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Illustrative,  in  Art.  —  Of  archaic  figures,  that  upon  the  so-called  Fan9ois- 
Vase  in  Florence  represents  Ares  bearded  and  with  the  armor  of  an  Homeric 
warrior.  In  the  art  of  the  second  half  of  the  fifth  century  B.C.,  he  is  repre- 
sented as  beardless,  standing  with  spear  and  helmet  and  generally  chlamys 
(short  warrior's  cloak);  so  the  marble  Ares  statue  (called  the  Borghese 
Achilles)  in  the  Louvre.  There  is  a  later  type  (preferred  in  Rome)  of  the 
god  in  Corinthian  helmet  pushed  back  from  the  forehead,  the  right  hand 
leaning  on  a  spear,  in  the  left  a  sword  with  point  upturned,  over  the  left  arm  a 
chlamys.  The  finest  representation  of  the  deity  extant  is  the  Ares  Ludovisi  in 
Rome,  probably  of  the  second  half  of  the  fourth  century  B.C.,  —  a  sitting 
figure,  beautiful  in  form  and  feature,  with  an  Eros  playing  at  his  feet.  (See 
§  36.)     Modern  sculpture :  Thorwaldsen's  relief,  Mars  and  Cupid. 

§  37.  On  the  derivation  of  Hephaestus,  see  Roscher,  2037.  From  Greek 
aphe,  to  kindle,  or  pha,  to  shine,  or  spha,  to  bum.  The  Latin  Vulcan,  while 
a  god  of  fire,  is  not  represented  by  the  Romans  as  possessed  of  technical  skill. 
It  is  said  that  Romulus  built  him  a  temple  in  Rome,  and  instituted  the  Vtd- 
canalia  —  a  festival  in  honor  of  the  god.  The  name  Vulcanus,ox  Vokanus, 
is  probably  connected  with  the  hatin /ulcere,  to  flash  or  lighten, yi/<^«r,  a  flash 
of  lightning,  etc.  It  is  quite  natural  that,  in  many  legends,  fire  should  play  an 
active  part  in  the  creation  of  man.  The  primitive  belief  of  the  Indo-Germanic 
race  was  that  the  fire-god,  descending  to  earth,  became  the  first  man;  and  that, 
therefore,  the  spirit  of  man  was  composed  of  fire.  Vulcan  is  also  called  by 
the  Romans  Mulciber,  from  mulceo,  to  soften. 

Illustrative.  —  Shakespeare,  Twelfth  N.  5  :  r ;  Much  Ado  1:1;  Troil.  and 
Cressida  1:3;   Hamlet  3:2;   Milton,  P.  L.  i :  740 :  — 

"  From  mom  to  noon  he  fell,  from  noon  to  dewy  eve, 
A  summer's  day ;  and  with  the  setting  sun 
Dropped  from  the  zenith,  like  a  falling  star, 
On  Lemnos,  the  ^Egean  isle." 

In  Art.  —  Various  antique  illustrations  are  extant  of  the  god  as  a  smith 
with  hammer,  or  at  the  forge,  —  one  of  him  working  with  the  Cyclopes;  a 
vase-painting  of  him  adorning  Pandora;  one  of  him  assisting  at  the  birth  of 
Miner\'a;  and  one  of  his  return  to  Olympus  led  by  Bacchus  and  Comus.  Of 
modern  paintings  the  following  are  noteworthy :  J.  A.  Wiertz's  Forge  of  Vul- 
can; Velasquez,  Forge  of  Vulcan  (Museum,  Madrid);  the  Forge  of  Vulcan 
by  Tintoretto.  Thorwaldsen's  piece  of  statuary,  Vulcan  forging  arrows  for 
Cupid,  is  justly  famous. 

§  38.  Castalia  :  on  the  slopes  of  Parnassus,  sacred  to  Apollo  and  the  Muses. 
Cephissus  :   in  Phocis  and  Bceotia.     (Another  Cephissus  flows  near  Athens.) 

Interpretative.  —  The  birth,  wanderings,  retiurn  of  Apollo,  and  his  strug- 


COMMENTARY.  419 

gle  with  the  Python,  etc.,  are  explained  by  many  scholars  as  symbolic  of  the 
annual  course  of  the  sun.  Apollo  is  born  of  Leto,  who  is,  according  to 
hypothesis,  the  Night  from  which  the  morning  sun  issues.  His  conflict  with 
the  dragon  reminds  one  of  Siegfried's  combat  and  that  of  St.  George.  The 
dragon  is  variously  interpreted  as  symbolical  of  darkness,  mephitic  vapors, 
or  the  forces  of  winter,  which  are  overcome  by  the  rays  of  the  springtide  sun. 
The  dragon  is  called  Delphyne,  or  Python.  The  latter  name  may  be  derived 
simply  from  that  part  of  Phocis  (Pytho)  where  the  town  of  Delphi  was  situate, 
or  that  again  from  the  Greek  root  piith,  to  rot,  because  there  the  serpent  was 
left  by  Apollo  to  decay;  or  from  the  Greek  puth,  to  inquire,  with  reference-  to 
the  consultation  of  the  Delphian  or  Pythian  oracle.  "  It  is  open  to  students 
to  regard  the  dolphin  as  only  one  of  the  many  animals  whose  earlier  worship 
is  concentrated  in  Apollo,  or  to  take  the  creature  for  the  symbol  of  spring 
when  seafaring  becomes  easier  to  mortals,  or  to  interpret  the  dolphin  as  the 
result  of  a  volks-etymologie  (popular  derivation),  in  which  the  name  Delphi 
(meaning  originally  a  hollow  in  the  hills)  was  connected  with  delphis,  the 
dolphin."  —  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2:  197.  Apollo  is  also  called  Lycius, 
which  means,  not  the  wolf-slayer,  as  is  sometimes  stated,  for  the  wolf  is  sacred 
to  Apollo,  but  either  the  wolf-god  (as  inheriting  an  earlier  wolf-cult)  or  the 
golden  god  of  Light.  (See  Preller  and  Roscher.)  This  derivation  is  more 
probable  than  that  from  I.ycia  in  Asia  Minor,  where  the  god  was  said  origi- 
nally to  have  been  worshipped.  To  explain  certain  rational  myths  of  Apollo 
as  referring  to  the  annual  and  diurnal  journeys  of  the  sun  is  justifiable.  To 
explain  the  savage  and  senseless  survivals  of  the  Apollo-myth  in  that  way  is 
impossible. 

Festivals. — The  most  important  were  as  follows :  (i)  the  Delphinia,  in 
May,  to  celebrate  the  genial  influence  of  the  young  sun  upon  the  waters,  in 
opening  navigation,  in  restoring  warmth  and  life  to  the  creatures  of  the 
wave,  especially  to  the  dolphins,  which  were  highly  esteemed  by  the  super- 
stitious seafarers,  fishermen,  merchants,  etc.  (2)  The  Thargelia,  in  the 
Greek  month  of  that  name,  our  May,  which  heralded  the  approach  of  the  hot 
season.  The  purpose  of  this  festival  was  twofold :  to  propitiate  the  deity  of 
the  sun  and  forefend  the  sickness  of  summer;  to  celebrate  the  ripening  of 
vegetation  and  return  thanks  for  first-fruits.  These  festivals  were  held  in 
Athens,  Delos,  and  elsewhere.  (3)  The  Hyacinthian  fast  and  feast  of  Sparta, 
corresponding  in  both  features  to  the  Thargelian.  It  was  held  in  July,  in 
the  oppressive  days  of  the  dogstar,  Sirius.  (4)  The  Carnean  of  Sparta, 
celebrated  in  August.  It  added  to  the  propitiatory  features  of  the  Hyacin- 
thian, a  thanksgiving  for  the  vintage.  (5)  Another  vintage-festival  was  the 
Pyanepsian,  in  Athens.  (6)  The  Daphnephoria :  "  Familiar  to  many  Eng- 
lish people  from  Sir  Frederick  Leighton's  picture.      This  feast  is  believed 


420  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

to  have  symbolized  the  year.  .  .  .  An  olive-branch  supported  a  central  ball 
of  brass,  beneath  which  was  a  smaller  ball,  and  thence  little  globes  were  hung," 
"  The  greater  ball  means  the  sun,  the  smaller  the  moon,  the  tiny  globes  the 
stars,  and  the  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  laurel  garlands  used  in  the  feast 
are  understood  to  symbolize  the  days."  {Proclus  and  Pausanias.)  —  Lang, 
Myth^  Ritual,  etc.,  2:194,  195.  Apollo  is  also  called  the  Sminthian,  or 
Mouse-god,  because  he  was  regarded  either  as  the  protector  or  as  the  destroyer 
of  mice.  In  the  Troad  mice  were  fed  in  his  temple;  elsewhere  he  was  hon- 
ored as  freeing  the  country  from  them.  As  Mr.  Lang  says  (Myth,  Ritual, 
etc.,  2:201),  this  is  intpUigible,  "if  the  vermin  which  had  once  been  sacred 
became  a  pest  in  the  eyes  of  later  generations," 

Oracle  of  Delphi,  —  It  had  been  observed  at  a  very  early  period  that  the 
goats  feeding  on  Parnassus  were  thrown  into  convulsions  when  they  approached 
a  certain  long  deep  cleft  in  the  side  of  the  mountain.  This  was  owing  to  a 
peculiar  vapor  arising  out  of  the  cavern,  and  a  certain  goatherd  is  said  to  have 
tried  its  effects  upon  himself.  Inhaling  the  intoxicating  air,  he  was  affected 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  cattle  had  been;  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  unable  to  explain  the  circumstance,  imputed  the  convulsive 
ravings  to  which  he  gave  utterance  while  under  the  power  of  the  exhalations 
to  a  divine  inspiration.  The  fact  was  speedily  spread  abroad,  and  a  temple 
was  erected  on  the  spot.  The  prophetic  influence  was  at  first  variously  attrib- 
uted to  the  goddess  Earth,  to  Neptune,  Themis,  and  others,  but  it  was  at 
length  assigned  to  Apollo,  and  to  him  alone.  A  priestess  was  appointed 
whose  office  it  was  to  inhale  the  hallowed  air,  and  who  was  named  the  Pythia. 
She  was  prepared  for  this  duty  by  previous  ablution  at  the  fountain  of  Castalia, 
and  being  crowned  with  laurel  was  seated  upon  a  tripod  similarly  adorned, 
which  was  placed  over  the  chasm  whence  the  divine  afflatus  proceeded.  Her 
inspired  words  while  thus  situated  were  interpreted  by  the  priests. 

Other  famous  oracles  were  that  of  Trophonius  in  Boeotia  and  that  of  the 
Egyptian  Apis.  Since  those  who  descended  into  the  cave  at  Lebadea  to 
consult  the  oracle  of  Trophonius  were  noticed  to  return  dejected  and  melan- 
choly, the  proverb  arose  which  was  applied  to  a  low-spirited  person,  "  He  has 
been  consulting  the  oracle  of  Trophonius." 

At  Memphis  the  sacred  bull  Apis  gave  answer  to  those  who  consulted  him, 
by  the  manner  in  which  he  received  or  rejected  what  was  presented  to  him. 
If  the  bull  refused  food  from  the  hand  of  the  inquirer,  it  was  considered  an 
unfavorable  sign,  and  the  contrary  when  he  received  it. 

It  used  to  be  questioned  whether  oracular  responses  ought  to  be  ascribed  to 
mere  human  contrivance  or  to  the  agency  of  evil  spirits.  The  latter  opinion 
would  of  course  obtain  during  ages  of  superstition,  when  evil  spirits  were 
credited  with  an  influence  over  human  affairs.     A  third  theory  has  been  ad- 


COMMENTAR  Y.  421 

vanced  since  the  phenomena  of  mesmerism  have  attracted  attention :  that 
something  like  the  mesmeric  trance  was  induced  in  the  Pythoness,  and  the 
faculty  of  clairvoyance  really  called  into  action. 

Scholars  have  also  sought  to  determine  when  the  pagan  oracles  ceased  to 
give  responses.  Ancient  Christian  writers  assert  that  they  became  silent  at 
the  birth  of  Christ,  and  were  heard  no  more  after  that  date.  Milton  adopts 
this  view  in  his  Hymn  to  the  Nativity,  and  in  lines  of  solemn  and  elevated 
beauty  pictures  the  consternation  of  the  heathen  idols  at  the  advent  of  the 

Saviour :  — 

"  The  oracles  are  dumb ; 
No  voice  or  hideous  hum 

Rings  through  the  arched  roof  in  words  deceiving. 
Apollo  from  his  shrine 
Can  no  more  divine, 

With  hollow  shriek  the  steep  of  Deiphos  leaving. 
No  nightly  trance  or  breathed  spell 
Inspires  the  pale-eyed  Priest  from  the  prophetic  cell." 

Illustrative.  —  Spenser,  Faery  Queene  1,2:2;  1,2:29;  i>":3J;  i» 
12:2.  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  Ashophel  and  Stella,  as,  for  instance,  the  pretty  con- 
ceit beginning 

"  Phoebus  was  judge  between  Jove,  Mars  and  Love, 
Of  those  three  gods,  whose  arms  the  fairest  were  " ; 

Dekker,  The  Sun's  Darling;  Burns  (as  in  the  Winter  Night)  and  other  Scotch 
song-writers  find  it  hard  to  keep  Phcebus  out  of  their  verses;  Spenser,  Epi- 
thalamion;  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream  2:  i  (Apollo  and  Daphne);  Cym- 
beline  (Clotens'  Serenade);  Love's  Labour's  Lost  4:3;  Taming  of  Shrew, 
Induction  2;  Winter's  Tale  2 :  I ;  3:1;  3:2;  Titus  Andron.  4 :  I ;  Drayton, 
Song  8;  Tickell,  To  Apollo  making  Love;  Swift,  Apollo  Outwitted;  Pope, 
Essay  on  Criticism  34;  Dunciad  4:116;  Prologue  to  Satires  231;  Miscel- 
laneous 7:  16;   Armstrong,  The  Art  of  Preserving  Health. 

Poems.  —  Drummond  of  Hawthornden,  Song  to  Phcebus;  Keats,  Hymn 
to  Apollo;  A.  Mary  F.  Robinson,  A  Search  for  Apollo;  In  Apollo's  Garden; 
Shelley's  Homer's  Hymn  to  Apollo;  Aubrey  De  Vere,  Lines  under  Del- 
phi; Lewis  Morris,  Apollo,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;  R.  W.  Dixon,  Apollo 
Pythius. 

The  Python.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  10:531;  Shelley's  Adonais.  Oracles.— 
Milton,  P.  L.  1 :  12,  515;  5:  382;  10:  182;  Paradise  Regained  i :  395,  430, 
456,  463;  3:13;  4:275;  Hymn  to  Nativity  173.  In  Cowper's  poem  of 
Yardley  Oak  there  are  mythological  allusions  appropriate  to  this  subject. 
On  Dodona,  Byron,  Childe  Harold  2:53;  Tennyson,  The  Talking  Oak. 
Byron  alludes  to  the  oracle  of  Delphi  when  speaking  of  Rousseau,  whose 


422  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

writings  he  conceives  did  much  to  bring  on  the  French  revolution  :  Childe 
Harold  3:  8i, — 

"  For  then  he  was  inspired,  and  from  him  came, 
As  from  the  Pythian's  mystic  cave  of  yore. 
Those  oracles  which  set  the  \Norld  in  flame, 
Nor  ceased  to  burn  till  kingdoms  were  no.more." 

In  Art.  — The  most  highly  esteemed  of  all  the  remains  of  ancient  sculpture 
is  the  statue  of  Apollo,  called  the  Belvedere,  from  the  name  of  the  apartment 
of  the  Pope's  palace  at  Rome  in  which  it  is  placed.  The  artist  is  unknown. 
It  is  supposed  to  be  a  work  of  Roman  art,  of  about  the  first  century  of  ovir 
era  (and  follows  a  type  fashioned  by  a  Greek  sculptor  of  the  Hellenistic 
period,  probably  in  bronze).  It  is  a  standing  figure,  in  marble,  more  than 
seven  feet  high,  naked  except  for  the  cloak  which  is  fastened  around  the  neck 
and  hangs  over  the  extended  left  arm.  It  is  supposed  to  represent  the  god  in 
the  moment  when  he  has  shot  the  arrow  to  destroy  the  monster  Python.  The 
victorious  divinity  is  in  the  act  of  stepping  forward.  The  left  arm  which  seems 
to  have  held"  the  bow  is  outstretched,  and  the  head  is  turned  in  the  same 
direction.  In  attitude  and  proportion  the  graceful  majesty  of  the  figure  is 
unsurpassed.  The  effect  is  completed  by  the  countenance,  where,  on  the 
perfection  of  youthful  godlike  beauty,  there  dwells  the  consciousness  of 
triumphant  power.  To  this  conception  of  Apollo,  Byron  alludes  in  Childe 
Harold  4:  161 :  — 

"  The  lord  of  the  unerring  bow, 

The  god  of  life,  and  poetry,  and  light  — 
The  sun,  in  human  limbs  arrayed,  and  brow 
All  radiant  from  his  triumph  in  the  fight ; 
The  shaft  has  just  been  shot  —  the  arrow  bright 
With  an  immortal's  vengeance ;  in  his  eye 
And  nostril,  beautiful  disdain,  and  might 
And  majesty  flash  their  fiill  lightnings  by, 
Developing  in  that  one  glance  the  Deity." 

An  earlier  variation  of  this  type  represents  Apollo  holding  in  the  left  hand, 
not  the  bow,  but  probably  an  segis.  The  standing  figure  in  our  text  reproduces 
this  conception.  Also  famous  in  sculpture  are  the  Apollo  Citharoedus  of  the 
National  Museum,  Naples,  and  the  Glyptothek,  Munich;  the  Lycian  Apollo; 
the  Apollo  Nomios;  Apollo  of  Thera;  the  Apollo  of  Michael  Angelo  (National 
Museum,  Florence).  A  painting  of  romantic  interest  is  Paolo  Veronese's  St. 
Christina  refusing  to  adore  Apollo.  Of  symbolic  import  is  the  Apollo  (Sunday) 
by  Raphael  in  the  Vatican.     Phoebus  and  Boreas  by  J.  F.  Millet. 

§  39.  Latona.  —  A  theory  of  the  numerous  love-affairs  of  Jupiter  is  given 
in  §  33  of  the  text.  Delos  is  the  central  island  of  the  Cyclades  group  in  the 
/Egean.     With  its  temple  of  Apollo  it  was  exceedingly  prosperous. 


COMMENTARY.  423 

Interpretative.  —  Latona  (Leto),  according  to  ancient  interpreters,  was 
night,  —  the  shadow,  therefore,  of  Juno  (Hera),  if  Hera  be  the  splendor  of 
heaven.  But  the  early  myth-makers  would  hardly  have  reasoned  so  abstrusely. 
It  is  not  at  all  certain  that  the  name  Leto  means  darkness  (Preller  1 :  190, 
note  4) ;  and  even  if  light  is  born  of  or  after  darkness,  the  sun  (Apollo)  and 
the  moon  (Artemis,  or  Diana)  can  hardly  be  considered  to  be  twins  of  Dark- 
ness (Leto)  for  they  do  not  illuminate  the  heavens  at  the  same  time.  —  Lang, 
Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2:  199. 

lUustratiye.  —  Byron's  allusion  to  Delos  in  Don  Juan  3 :  86,  — 
"  The  isles  of  Greece !  the  isles  of  Greece ! 
Where  burning  Sappho  loved  and  sung, 
Where  grew  the  arts  of  war  and  peace, 

Where  Delos  rose  and  Phoebus  sprung ! 
Eternal  summer  gilds  them  yet. 
But  all  except  their  sun,  is  set." 

See  Milton's  Sonnet,  "  I  did  but  prompt  the  age  to  quit  their  clogs,"  for  al- 
lusion to  Latona. 

In  Art.  —  In  the  shrine  of  Latona  in  Delos  there  was,  in  the  days  of  Athe- 
naeus,  a  shapeless  wooden  idol. 

Diana.  — The  Latin  Diana  means  either  "goddess  of  the  bright  heaven," 
or  "  goddess  of  the  bright  day,"  She  is  frequently  identified  with  Artemis, 
Hecate,  Luna,  and  Selene.  According  to  one  tradition,  Apollo  and  Diana 
were  born  at  Ortygia,  near  Ephesus.  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  referred 
to.  Acts  19:  28,  was  a  goddess  of  not  at  all  the  maidenly  characteristics  that 
belonged  to  the  Greek  Artemis  (Roscher,  591 ;  A.  Lang,  2.  217).  Other 
titles  of  Artemis  are  Munychia,  the  moon-goddess;  Calliste,  the  fair,  or  the 
she-bear ;  Orthia,  the  severe,  worshipped  among  the  Taurians  with  human 
sacrifices;  Agrotera,  the  ^w«/r«j ;  Pythia;  Eileithyia,  goddess  of  childbirth; 
Cynthia,  born  on  Mount  Cynthus. 

Illustrative.  —  Spenser,.  F.  Q.  1,7:5;  1,12:7;  Shakespeare,  M.  of 
Venice  5:  i,  "Come,  ho,  and  wake  Diana  with  a  hymn,"  etc.;  Twelfth  N. 
1:4;  M.  N.  Dream  1:4;  All's  Well  1:3;  4:2;  4:4;  Butler,  Hudibras, 
3,2:  1448.  Poems:  B.  W.  Procter,  The  Worship  of  Dian;  W.  W.  Story, 
Artemis;  E.  W.  Gosse,  The  Praise  of  Artemis;  E.  Arnold,  Hymn  of 
the  Priestess  of  Diana;  Wordsworth,  To  Lycoris;  Lewis  Morris,  Artemis, 
in  the  Epic  of  Hades.  A.  Lang,  To  Artemis.  Phoebe  (Diana)  :  Spenser, 
Epithalamion;  Keats,  To  Psyche.  Cynthia  (Diana)  :  Spenser,  Prothalamion, 
Epithalamion ;  Milton,  Hymn  to  Nativity;  H.  K.  White,  Ode  to  Contempla- 
tion. 

In  Art.  —  In  art  the  goddess  is  represented  high-girt  for  the  chase, 
either  in  the  act  of  drawing  an  arrow  from  her  quiver   or  watching   her 


424  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

missile  in  its  flight.  She  is  often  attended  by  the  hind.  Sometimes,  as  moon- 
goddess,  she  bears  a  torch.  Occasionally  she  is  clad  in  a  chiton,  or  robe  of 
many  folds,  flowing  to  her  feet.  The  Diana  of  the  Hind  {h  la  Biche),  in  the 
palace  of  the  Louvre  (see  text,  §  39),  may  be  considered  the  counterpart  of 
the  Apollo  Belvedere.  The  attitude  much  resembles  that  of  Apollo,  the  sizes 
correspond  and  also  the  styles  of  execution.  The  Diana  of  the  Hind  is  a  work 
of  the  highest  order,  though  by  no  means  equal  to  the  Apollo.  The  attitude 
is  that  of  hurried  and  eager  motion,  the  face  that  of  a  huntress  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  chase.  The  left  hand  of  the  goddess  is  extended  over  the  fore- 
head of  the  hind  which  runs  by  her  side,  the  right  arm  reaches  backward  over 
the  shoulder  to  draw  an  arrow  from  the  quiver.  The  second  illustration  in 
the  text  is  the  Artemis  Knagia  (Diana  Cnagia),  named  after  Cnageus,  a  servant 
of  Diana  who  assisted  in  transferring  the  statue  from  Crete  to  Sparta. 

In  modern  painting,  noteworthy  are  the  Diana  and  her  Nymphs  of  Rubens; 
Correggio's  Diana;  Jules  Lefebvre's  Diana  and  her  Nymphs;  Domenichino's 
Diana's  Chase.  Note  also  the  allegorical  Luna  (Monday)  of  Raphael  in  the 
Vatican. 

§  40.  Interpretative.  — The  worship  of  Aphrodite  was  probably  of  Semitic 
origin,  but  was  early  introduced  into  Greece.  The  Aphrodite  of  Hesiod  and 
Homer  displays  both  Oriental  and  Grecian  characteristics.  All  Semitic  nations, 
except  the  Hebrews,  worshipped  a  supreme  goddess  who  presided  over 
the  moon  (or  the  Star  of  Love),  and  over  all  animal  and  vegetable  life 
and  growth.  She  was  the  Istar  of  the  Assyrians,  the  Astarte  of  the  Phoeni- 
cians, and  is  the  analogue  of  the  Greek  Aphrodite  and  the  Latin  Venus.  (See 
Roscher,  390,  etc.)  The  native  Greek  deity  of  love  would  appear  to  have  been, 
however,  Dione,  goddess  of  the  moist  and  productive  soil  (§  34  C),  who 
passes  in  the  Iliad  (1;:  370,  428)  as  the  mother  of  Aphrodite;  is  worshipped 
at  Dodona  by  the  side  of  Zeus,  and  is  regarded  by  Euripides  as  Tkyone,  mother 
of  Dionysus  (Preller  i.  259). 

The  epithets  and  names  most  frequently  applied  to  Aphrodite  are :  the 
Paphian,  Cypris  (the  Cyprus-born),  Cytherea;  Eryctna  (from  Mount  Eryx), 
Pandemos  (goddess  of  vulgar  love),  Pelagia  (Aphrodite  of  the  sea),  Urania 
(Aphrodite  of  ideal  love),  Anadyomene  (rising  from  the  water);  she  is,  also, 
the  sweetly  smiling,  laughter-loving,  bright,  golden,  fruitful,  winsome,  flower- 
faced,  blushing,  swift-eyed,  golden-crowned. 

She  had  temples  and  groves  in  Paphos,  Abydos,  .Samos,  Ephesus,  Cyprus, 
Cythere,  in  some  of  which, —  for  instance,  Paphos,  —  gorgeous  annual  festi- 
vals were  held.     See  Childe  Harold  i :  66. 

Venus  was  a  deity  of  extreme  antiquity  among  the  Romans,  but  not  of 
great  importance  until  she  had  acquired  certain  attributes  of  the  Eastern 
Aphrodite.     She  was  worshipped  as  goddess  of  love,  as  presiding  over  mar- 


COMMENTAR  Y.  425 

riage,  as  the  goddess  who  turns  the  hearts  of  men,  and,  later,  even  as  a  goddess 
of  victory.  A  festival  in  her  honor,  called  the  Veneralia,  was  held  in  Rome 
in  April. 

Illustrative.  —  See  Chaucer's  Knight's  Tale,  for  frequent  references  to  the 
goddess  of  love;  also  the  Court  of  Love;  Spenser's  Prothalamion  and  Epi- 
thalamion,  "  Handmaids  of  the  Cyprian  queen  ";  Shakespeare,  Tempest  4:1; 
M.  of  Venice  2:6;  Troil.  and  Cressida  4:5;  Cymbeline  5:5;  Rom.  and  Jul. 
2:1;  Milton's  L' Allegro;  P.  R.  2:214;  Comus  124;  Pope,  Rape  of  Lock 
4:  135  ;   Spring  65  ;   Summer  61;  Thomas  Woolner,  Pygmalion  (Cytherea). 

Poems.  —  Certain  parts  of  Shakespeare's  Venus  and  Adonis  and  occasional 
stanzas  in  Swinburne's  volume,  Laus  Veneris,  may  be  adapted  to  illustrative 
purposes.  Chaucer,  The  Complaint  of  Mars  and  Venus;  Thos.  Wyatt,  The 
Lover  prayeth  Venus  to  conduct  him  to  the  Desired  Haven.  See  the  grand 
chorus  to  Aphrodite  in  Swinburne's  Atalanta  in  Calydon;  Lewis  Morris, 
Aphrodite,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;  Thos.  Gordon  Hake,  The  Birth  of  Venus, 
in  New  Symbols;   D.  G.  Rossetti,  Sonnets;   Venus  Verticordia,  Venus  Victrix. 

In  Art.  —  One  of  the  most  famous  of  ancient  statues  was  the  Venus  ris- 
ing from  the  foam,  of  Phidias.  The  Venus  found  in  the  island  of  Melos, 
or  of  Milo  (see  text,  §  40),  now  to  be  seen  in  the  Louvre  in  Paris,  is  the 
work  of  some  sculptor  of  about  the  third  century  B.C.  He  followed  an 
original  of  the  age  of  Praxiteles,  probably  in  bronze,  which  represented  the 
goddess  partly  draped,  gazing  at  her  reflection  in  an  uplifted  shield.  A  master- 
piece of  Praxiteles  was  the  Venus  of  Cnidos,  from  which  are  copied  the  Venus 
of  the  Capitoline  in  Rome  and  the  Venus  de'  Medici  in  Florence,  both  of  them 
nude  figures  and  of  a  lower  type  of  art  than  the  Milo.  The  Venus  of  the 
Medici  was  in  the  possession  of  the  princes  of  that  name  in  Rome  when,  about 
two  hundred  years  ago,  it  first  attracted  attention.  An  inscription  on  the  base 
assigns  it  to  Cleomenes,  an  Athenian  sculptor  of  200  B.C.,  but  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  inscription  is  doubtful.  There  is  a  story  that  the  artist  was  em- 
ployed by  public  authority  to  make  a  statue  exhibiting  the  perfection  of  female 
beauty,  and  that  to  aid  him  in  his  task  the  most  perfect  forms  the  city  could 
supply  were  furnished  him  for  models.  Note  Thomson's  allusion  in  the 
Summer :  — 

"  So  stands  the  statue  that  enchants  the  world ; 
So  bending  tries  to  veil  the  matchless  boast, 
The  mingled  beauties  of  exulting  Greece." 
And  ByTon's 

"  There  too  the  goddess  loves  in  stone,  and  fills 
The  air  around  with  beauty."  —  Childt  Harold  4 :  49-53. 

Also  to  be  noted  is  the  Venus  coming  from  the  Bath  in  the  Vatican  at  Rome. 


426  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Of  modern  paintings  the  most  famous  are  the  Sleeping  Venus  and  other 
representations  of  Venus  by  Titian;  the  Birth  of  Venus  by  Bouguereau;  Tin- 
toretto's Cupid,  Venus,  and  Vulcan;  Veronese's  Venus  with  Satyr  and  Cupid. 
Modern  sculpture  :  Thorvvaldsen's  Venus  with  the  Apple;  Venus  and  Cupid; 
Cellini's  Venus;   Canuva's  Venus  Victrix,  and  the  Venus  in  the  Pitti  Gallery. 

§41.  Interpretative.  —  Max  Miiller  traces  Hermes,  child  of  the  Dawn 
with  its  fresh  breezes,  herald  of  the  gods,  spy  of  the  night,  to  the  Vedic  SaramS, 
goddess  of  the  Dawn.  Others  translate  SaramS,  storm.  Roscher  derives  from 
the  same  root  as  Sarameyas  (son  of  Sarama),  with  the  meaning  "  Hastener" 
the  sioift  wind. 

Illustrative.  —  To  Mercury's  construction  of  the  lyre  out  of  a  tortoise- 
shell,  Gray  refers  (Prog,  of  Poesy), "  Parent  of  sweet  and  solemn-breathing 
airs,  Enchanting  shell !  "  etc.  See  Shakespeare,  K.  John  4:2;  Hen.  IV.  4:1; 
Rich.  III.  2:1;  4:3;  Hamlet  3:4;  Milton,  P.  L.  3,  "Though  by  their  pow- 
erful art  they  bind  Volatile  Hermes";  P.  L.  4:717;  11:133;  II  Pens.  88; 
Comus  637,  962.  Poems :  Sir  T.  Martin's  Goethe's  Phoebus  and  Hermes; 
Shelley's  translation  of  Homer's  Hymn  to  Mercury. 

In  Art. — The  Mercury  in  the  Acropolis  Museum,  Athens;  Mercury  Bel- 
vedere (Vatican)  ;  Mercury  in  Repose  (National  Museum,  Naples)  ;  and  the 
Hermes  by  Praxiteles,  in  Berlin,  are  especially  fine  specimens  of  ancient 
sculpture. 

In  modern  sculpture:  Cellini's  Mercury  (base  of  Perseus);  Giov.  di  Bo- 
logna's Flying  Mercury  (bronze).  In  modern  painting:  Tintoretto's  Mercury 
and  the  Graces;  Francesco  Albani's  Mercury  and  Apollo;  Claude  Lorrain's 
Mercury  and  Battus;  Turner's  Mercury  and  Argus;  Raphael's  allegorical 
Mercury  (Wednesday),  V^atican,  Rome;  and  his  Mercury  with  Psyche  (Far- 
nese  Frescos). 

§42.  Interpretative.  —  The  name  Hestia  (Latin  Vesta)  has  been  vari- 
ously derived  from  roots  meaning  to  sit,  to  stand,  to  burn.  The  two  former 
are  consistent  with  the  domestic  nature  of  the  goddess;  the  latter  with  her 
relation  to  the  hearth-fire.  She  is  "  first  of  the  goddesses,"  the  holy,  the 
chaste,  the  sacred. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  II  Pens.  (Melancholy),  "  Thee,  bright-haired  Vesta 
long  of  yore  To  solitary  Saturn  bore,"  etc. 

§  43.  (i)  Cupid  (Eros).  —  References  and  allusions  to  Cupid  throng  our 
poetry.  Only  a  few  are  here  given.  Shakespeare,  Rom.  and  Jul.  1:4;  M. 
of  Venice  2 :  6;  Merry  Wives  2:2;  Much  Ado  i :  i ;  2:1;  3:2;  M.N.  Dream 
I:  I;  2:2;  4:1;  Cymbeline  2:4;  Milton,  Comus  445,  1004;  Herrick,  the 
Cheat  of  Cupid ;  Pope,  Rape  of  Lock  5  :  102;  Dunciad  4:  308;  Moral  Essays 
4 :  III;  Windsor  Forest,  —  on  Lord  Surrey,  "  In  the  same  shades  the  Cupids 
tuned  his  lyre  To  the  same  notes  of  love  and  soft  desire." 


COM  MEN  TAR  Y.  427 

Poems.  — Chaucer,  The  Cuckow  and  Nightingale,  or  Boke  of  Cupid  (?)  ; 
Occleve,  The  Letter  of  Cupid;  Beaumont  and  Fletcher,  Cupid's  Revenge, 
and  the  Masque,  A  Wife  for  a  Month;  J.  G.  Saxe,  Death  and  Cupid,  on  their 
exchange  of  arrows,  "And  that  explains  the  reason  why  Despite  the  gods 
above,  The  young  are  often  doomed  to  die,  The  old  to  fall  in  love";  Thos. 
Ashe,  The  Lost  Eros;  Coventry  I'atmore,  The  Unknown  Eros;  John  Lyly's 
Campaspe :  — 

"  Cupid  and  my  Campaspe  play'd, 

At  cardes  for  kisses,  Cupid  pay'd ; 

He  stakes  his  quiver,  bow,  and  arrows, 

His  mother's  doves,  and  teeme  of  sparrows ; 

Looses  them  too ;  then,  downe  he  throwes 

The  corrall  of  his  lippe,  the  rose 

Growing  on's  cheek  (but  none  knows  how) 

■\\'ith  these,  the  crystal  of  his  brow. 

And  then  the  dimple  of  his  chin  ; 

All  these  did  my  Campaspe  winne ; 

At  last  hee  set  her  both  his  eyes ; 

She  won,  and  Cupid  blind  did  rise. 

O  love !  has  she  done  this  to  thee? 

What  shall  (alas)  become  of  mee?  " 

See  also  Lang's  translation  of  Moschus,  Idyl  L 

In  Art.  —  Antique  sculpture:  The  Eros  in  Naples,  with  wings,  torch,  and 
altar,  a  Roman  conception  (Roscher,  1359);  Eros  bending  the  Bow,  in  the 
Museum  at  Berlin;   Cupid  bending  his  Bow  (Vatican). 

Modern  sculpture :  Thorwaldsen's  Mars  and  Cupid.  Modern  paintings : 
Bouguereau's  Cupid  and  a  Butterfly;  Raphael's  Cupids  (among  drawings  in 
the  Museum  at  Venice);  Burne-Jones'  Cupid  (in  series  with  Pyramus  and 
Thisbe);  Raphael  Mengs'  Cupid  sharpening  his  Arrow;  Guido  Reni's  Cupid; 
Van  Dyck's  Sleeping  Cupid.     See  also  under  Psyche,  §  94  C. 

Hymen.  —  See  Sir  Theodore  Martin's  translations  of  the  exquisite  Collii 
O  Helicottii,  and  the  Vesper  oiiest,  jtevenes,  of  Catullus  (LXL  and  LXIL); 
Milton,  P.  L.  II :  591 ;   L'All.  125;   Pope,  Chorus  of  Youths  and  Virgins. 

(2)  Hebe. — Thomas  Lodge's  exquisite  Sonnet  to  Phyllis,  "Fair  art  thou, 
Phyllis,  ay,  so  fair,  sweet  maid";  Milton,  Vacation  Ex.  38;  Comus  290; 
L'All.  29;  Spenser,  Epithalamion.  Poems:  T.  Moore,  The  Fall  of  Hebe; 
J.  R.  Lowell,  Hebe.  In  Art:  Ary  Scheffer's  painting  of  Hebe;  N.  Schia- 
voni's  painting. 

Ganymede.  —  Chaucer,  H.  of  F.  81;  Tennyson,  in  the  Palace  of  Art, 
"There,  too,  flushed  Ganymede,  his  rosy  thigh  Half  buried  in  the  eagle's 
down,"  etc.;  Shelley  in  the  Prometheus  (Jove's  order  to  Ganymede);  Mil- 
ton, P.  R.  2:353;   Drayton,  Song  4,  "The  birds  of  Ganymed."      Poems: 


428  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Lord  Lytton,  Ganymede;  Bowring's  Goethe's  Ganymede;  Roden  Noel,  Gany- 
mede; Edith  M.  Thomas,  Homesickness  of  Ganymede;  S.  Margaret  Fuller, 
Ganymede  to  his  Eagle;  Drummond  on  Ganymede's  lament,  "  When  eagle's 
talons  bare  him  through  the  air."  In  Art:  Grreco- Roman  sculpture,  Gany- 
mede and  the  Eagle  (National  Museum,  Naples).  Modern  sculpture :  Thor- 
waldsen's  Ganymede. 

(3)  The  Graces.  —  Rogers,  Inscription  for  a  Temple;  Matthew  Arnold, 
Euphrosyne.  These  goddesses  are  continually  referred  to  in  poetry.  Note 
the  painting  by  J.  B.  Regnault  (Louvre),  also  the  sculpture  by  Canova. 

(4)  The  Muses.  —  Spenser,  The  Tears  of  the  Muses;  Milton,  11  Pens. 
Childe  Harold  i :  i,  62,  88;  Thomson,  Castle  of  Indolence  2:2;  2:8;  Aken- 
side,  Pleasures  of  Imagination  3:  280,  327;  Ode  on  Lyric  Poetry;  Crabbe, 
The  Village,  Bk.  i ;  Introductions  to  the  Parish  Register,  Newspaper,  Birth  of 
Flattery;  M.  Arnold,  Urania.  Delphi,  Parnassus,  etc. :  Gray,  Prog,  of 
Poesy  2:3.  Vale  of  Tempe:  Keats,  On  a  Grecian  Urn;  Young,  Ocean,  an 
ode.  In  Art:  sculpture,  Clio  and  Calliope,  in  the  Vatican  in  Rome;  Euterpe, 
Melpomene,  Polyhymnia,  and  Urania,  in  the  Louvre,  Paris;  Terpsichore  by 
Thorwaldsen.  Painting,  Apollo  and  the  Muses,  by  Raphael  Mengs  and  by 
Giulio  Romano;    Terpsichore  (picture)  by  Schiitzenberger. 

(5)  The  Hours,  in  art :   Raphael's  Six  Hours  of  the  Day  and  Night. 

(6)  The  Fates.  —  Refrain  stanzas  in  Lowell's  Villa  Franca,  "Spin,  spin, 
Qotho,  spin  !  Lachesis,  twist !  and  Atropos,  sever !  "  In  Art :  The  Fates, 
paintings  by  Michael  Angelo  (Pitti  Gallery,  Florence)  and  by  Paul  Thumann. 

(7)  Nemesis.  —  For  genealogy  see  §  51  C. 

(8)  iGsculapius.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  90:  507. 

(9)  (10)  The  Winds,  Helios,  Aurora,  Hesper,  etc.  —  See  genealogical 
table,  1 13  C.  .Solus  :  Chaucer,  H.  of  F.  480.  Boreas  and  Orithyia  :  Aken- 
side,  P.  I.  I  :  722. 

In  Art.  —  The  fragment,  Helios  rising  from  the  Sea,  by  Iliidias,  north 
end,  east  pediment  of  the  Parthenon. 

(11)  Hesperus. — Milton,  P.  L.  4:605;  9:49;  Comus  982;  Akenside, 
Ode  to  Hesper  ;  Campbell,  Two  Songs  to  the  Evening  Star. 

(12)  "Iris  there  with  humid  bow  waters  the  odorous  banks,"  etc.,  Comus 
992.  See  also  Milton's  P.  L.  4:698;  11 :  244.  In  Art:  painting  by  Guy 
Head  (Gallery,  St.  Luke,  Rome).  She  is  the  swift-footed,  wind-footed,  fleet, 
the  Iris  of  the  golden  wings,  etc. 

§  44.  Hyperborean.  —  Beyond  the  North.  Concerning  the  Elysian  Plain, 
see  §  48.     Illustrative:   Milton,  Comus,  "Now  the  gilded  car  of  day,"  etc. 

§45.  Ceres.  —  Illustrative.  —  Pope,  Moral  Essays  4:176.  "Another 
age  shall  see  the  golden  ear  Imbrown  the  slope  .  .  .  And  laughing  Ceres 
rcassume  the  land."      Spring  66;   Summer  66;   Windsor  Forest  39.      Gray, 


COMMENTARY.  429 

Prog,  of  Poesy;  Warton's  First  of  April:  "Fancy  .  .  .  Sees  Ceres  grasp  her 
crown  of  corn,  And  Plenty  load  her  ample  horn." 

Poems. —  Tennyson,  Demeter  and  Persephone;  Mrs.  H.  H.  Jackson, 
Demeter.  Prose:  \V.  H.  Pater,  The  Myth  of  Demeter  (Fortn.  Rev.  Vol.  25, 
1876);  S.  Colvin,  A  Greek  Hymn  (Cornh.  Mag.  Vol.  ^^,  1876);  Swinburne, 
At  Eleusis. 

The  name,  Ceres,  is  from  the  stem  cer,  Sanskrit  kri,  to  make.  By  metonomy 
the  word  comes  to  signify  corn  in  the  Latin.  Demeter  (P^  fn^rrip,  5o  iiifrrfp), 
means  Mother  Earth.  The  goddess  is  represented  in  art  crowned  with  a 
wheat-measure  (or  modius),  and  bearing  a  horn  of  plenty  filled  with  ears  of 
corn.  Demeter  appears  in  the  group  of  deities  on  the  eastern  frieze  of  the 
Parthenon.  Also  noteworthy  are  the  Demeter  from  Cnidos,  two  statues  of 
Ceres  in  the  Vatican  at  Rome,  and  one  in  the  Glyptothek  at  Munich. 

§  4j  (/.  Rhea  was  worshipped  as  Cybele,  the  Great  Mother,  in  Phrygia,  and 
at  Pessinus  in  Galatia.  During  the  Second  Punic  War,  203  B.C.,  her  image 
was  fetched  from  the  latter  place  to  Rome.  In  191  B.C.  the  Megalensian 
Games  were  first  celebrated  in  her  honor,  occupying  six  days,  from  the  fourth 
of  April  on.  Plays  were  acted  during  this  festival.  The  Great  Mother  was 
also  called  Cybebe,  Berecyntia,  and  Dindymene. 

The  Cybele  of  Art.  —  In  works  of  art,  Cybele  exhibits  the  matronly  air 
which  distinguishes  Juno  and  Ceres.  Sometimes  she  is  veiled,  and  seated  on 
a  throne  with  lions  at  her  side;  at  other  times  she  rides  in  a  chariot  drawn  by 
lions.  She  wears  a  mural  crown :  that  is,  a  crown  whose  rim  is  car\ed  in  the 
form  of  towers  and  battlements.  The  Rhea  of  Phidias  was  the  finest  concep- 
tion of  that  goddess  in  sculpture. 

Illustrative.  —  Byron's  figure  likening  Venice  to  Cybele,  Childe  Harold  4, 
"She  looks  a  sea-Cybele,  fresh  from  ocean,"  etc.     Also  Milton's  Arcades  21. 

§  46.  Interpretative.  —  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Homer  (Iliad  and 
Odyssey)  recognizes  Dionysus  neither  as  inventor,  nor  as  exclusive  god  of 
wine.  In  Iliad  6:  130  he  refers,  however,  to  the  Dionysus  cult  in  Thrace. 
Hesiod  is  the  first  to  call  wine  the  gift  of  Dionysus.  Dionysus  means  the 
Zeus  or  god  of  Nysa,  an  imaginary  vale  of  Thrace,  Boeotia,  or  elsewhere, 
in  which  the  deity  spent  his  youth.  The  name  Bacchus  owes  its  origin 
to  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  followers  of  the  god  lifted  up  their  voices 
in  his  praise.  Similar  names  are  lacchus,  Bromius,  Evius  (from  the  cry 
evoe).  The  god  was  also  called  Lyxus,  the  loosener  of  care.  Liber,  the 
liberator.  His  followers  are  also  known  as  Edonides  (from  Mount  Edon,  in 
Thrace,  where  he  was  worshipped),  Thyiades,  the  sacrijicers,  Lenas  and  Bas- 
sarides.  His  festivals  were  the  Lesser  and  Greater  Dionysia  (at  Athens),  the 
Lena?a,  and  the  Anthesteria,  in  December,*  March,  January,  and  February, 
respectively.     At  the  first,  three  dramatic  performances  were  presented. 


430  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Illustrative.  —  A  few  references  and  allusions  worth  consulting :  Spenser, 
Epithalamion;  Fletcher  (Valentinian),  "God  Lyaeus,  ever  young";  Ran- 
dolph, To  Master  Anthony  Stafford  (1632);  Milton,  L'AU.  16;  P.  L.  4: 
279;  7:  33;  Comus  46,  522;  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream  5:1;  Love's  L.  L. 
4:3;  Ant.  and  Cleo.  2:  7  (song);  Shelley,  Ode  to  Liberty  7,  Rome  —  "like 
a  Cadmaean  Msenad";  Keats,  To  a  Nightingale,  "Not  charioted  by  Bacchus 
and  his  pards."     On  Semele,  Milton,  P.  R.  2 :  187. 

Poems.  —  Ben  Jonson,  Dedication  of  the  King's  New  Cellar ;  Thos.  Par- 
nell,  Bacchus,  or  the  Drunken  Metamorphosis;  Landor,  Sophron's  Hymn  to 
Bacchus;  Swinburne,  Prelude  to  Songs  before  Sunrise;  Roden  Noel,  The 
Triumph  of  Bacchus;   others  given  in  text.     See  Index. 

In  Art.  —  Of  ancient  representations  of  the  Bacchus,  the  best  examples 
are  the  Silenus  holding  the  child  Bacchus  (in  the  Louvre) ;  the  head  of  Bac- 
chus found  in  Smyrna  (now  in  Leyden  —  see  text,  §  154),  from  an  original  of 
the  school  of  Scopas;  the  head  (now  in  London)  from  the  Baths  of  Caracalla, 
of  the  later  Attic  school;  the  Faun  and  Bacchus  (Museum,  Naples) ;  a  stand- 
ing bronze  figure  in  Vienna,  and  the  statue  of  the  Villa  Tiburtina  (Rome). 
The  bearded  or  Indian  Bacchus  is  represented  as  advanced  in  years,  grave, 
dignified,  crowned  with  a  diadem  and  robed  to  the  feet. 

In  modern  sculpture  note  especially  the  Drunken  Bacchus  of  Michael 
Angelo.  Among  modern  paintings  worthy  of  notice  are  Bouguereau's  Youth 
of  Bacchus,  and  C.  Gleyre's  Dance  of  the  Bacchantes.     See  also  under  Ariadne. 

§  47.  The  invention  of  the  Syrinx  is  attributed  also  to  Mercury.  For  poet- 
ical illustrations  see  §§  52-54,  116,  117,  C.     So  also  for  Nymphs  and  Satyrs. 

In  Art.  —  The  exquisite  antique.  Pan  and  Apollo  (with  the  Syrinx)  in  the 
Museum  at  Naples.     See  references  above. 

§  48.  It  was  only  in  rare  instances  that  mortals  returned  from  Hades.  See 
the  stories  of  Hercules  and  Orpheus.  On  the  tortures  of  the  condemned,  and 
the  happiness  of  the  blessed,  see  §  175  in  The  Adventures  of  ^-Eneas. 

Illustrative.  —  I^well,  addressing  the  Past,  says, 

"  Whatever  of  true  life  there  was  in  thee, 

Leaps  in  our  age's  veins.  .  . . 
Here,  'mid  the  bleak  waves  of  our  strife  and  care, 

Float  the  green  Fortunate  Isles, 
Where  all  thy  hero-spirits  dwell  and  share 

Our  martyrdom  and  toils. 
The  present  moves  attended 

With  all  of  brave  and  excellent  and  fair 
That  made  the  old  time  splendid." 

Milton,  P.  L.  3  :  568,  "  Like  tho*  Hesperian  gardens,"  etc.  See  also  P.  L.  2, 
passage  ijeginning  "Abhorred  Styx,  the  flood  of  deadly  hate,"  where  the 
rivers  of  Erebus  are  characterized  according  to  the  meaning  of  their  Greek 


COMMENTARY.  431 

names;  and  L'AU.  3.  Charon:  Pope,  Dunciad  3:19;  and  in  numerous 
poems.  Elysium :  Cowper,  Progress  of  Error,  Night,  "  The  balm  of  care, 
Elysium  of  the  mind";  Milton,  P.  L.  3:472;  Comus  257,  L'All.;  Shake- 
speare, 3  Hen.  VI.  1:2;  Cymbeline  5:4;  Twelfth  N.  i :  2;  Two  Gen.  of 
Verona  2:7;  Shelley,  To  Naples.  Lethe :  Shakespeare,  Twelfth  N.  4:1; 
Jul.  Cces.  3:1;  Hamlet  1:5;  2  Hen.  IV.  5:2;  Milton,  P.  L.  2:583.  Tar- 
tarus:  Milton,  P.  L.  2:858;   6:54. 

§  49.  Interpretative.  —  The  name  Hades  means  "  the  invisible,"  or  "  he 
who  makes  invisible."  The  meaning  of  Pluto  {Ploutoti),  according  to  Plato 
{Cratylus),  is  wealth,  —  the  giver  of  treasure  which  lies  underground. 
Pluto  carries  the  cornucopia,  symbol  of  inexhaustible  riches;  but  careful 
discrimination  must  be  obser\'ed  between  him  and  Plutus  (^Ploutos),  who  is 
merely  an  allegorical  figure,  —  a  personification  of  wealth  and  nothing  more. 
Hades  is  called  also  the  Illustrious,  the  Many-named,  the  Benignant,  Poly- 
dectes  or  the  hospitable. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  L'All.  and  II  Pens.;  P.  L.  4:270;  Thos.  Kyd, 
Spanish  Tragedy  (Andrea's  descent  to  Hades)  — this  poem  deals  extensively 
with  the  Infernal  Regions;  Shakespeare,  2  Hen.  IV.  2:4;  TroiL  and  Cressida 
4:4;   5:2;   Coriol.  1:4;  Titus  Andron.  4 :  3. 

Poems.  —  Buchanan,  Ades,  King  of  Hell;   Lewis  Morris,  Epic  of  Hades. 

§  50.  Proserpine.  —  Not  from  the  Latin  pro-serpo,  to  creep  forth  (used  of 
herbs  in  spring),  but  from  the  Greek  form  Persephone,  a  bringer  of  death. 
The  later  name  Pherephattia  refers  to  the  doves  {phatta),  which  were  sacred 
to  her  as  well  as  to  Aphrodite.  She  carries  ears  of  corn  as  symbol  of  vegeta- 
tion, poppies  as  symbol  of  the  sleep  of  death,  the  pomegranate  as  the  fruit  of 
the  underworld  of  which  none  might  partake  and  return  to  the  light  of  heaven. 
Among  the  Romans  her  worship  was  overshadowed  by  that  of  Libitina,  a 
native  deity  of  the  underworld. 

Illustrative.  —  Keats,  Melancholy  i;  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i,  2:  2. 

Poems. — Aubrey  de  Vere,  The  Search  after  Proserpine;  Jean  Ingelow, 
Persephone;  Swinburne,  Hymns  to  Proserpine;  L.  Morris,  Persephone  (Epic 
of  Hades) ;   D.  G.  Rossetti,  Proserpine. 

In  Art.  —  Sculpture  :  Eastern  pediment  of  Parthenon  frieze.  Painting :  Lo- 
renzo Bernini's  Pluto  and  Proserpine;   P.  Schobelt's  Abduction  of  Proserpine. 

§  51.  Textual.  —  (i)  For  zEacus,  son  of  ^^na,  see  §  63  and  §  i#S  (i) 
C;  for  Minos  and  Rhadamanthus,  see  §  61.  Eumenides:  Euphemistic 
term,  meaning  the  well-intentioned.  Hecate  was  descended  through  her 
father  Perses  from  the  Titans,  Creus  and  Eurybie ;  through  her  mother  Asteria 
from  the  Titans,  Cteus  and  Phcebe.  She  was  therefore,  on  both  sides,  the 
granddaughter  of  Uranus  and  Gaea. 

The  following  table  is  based  upon  Hesiod's  account  of  the  Family  of 
Night.     (Theogony.) 


432 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


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According  to  other  theogonies,  the  Fates  were 
daughters  of  Jove  and  Themis,  and  the  Hesperides 
daughters  of  Atlas.  The  story  of  the  true  and  false 
Dreams  and  the  horn  and  ivory  gates  (Od.  19 :  560) 
rests  on  a  double  play  upon  words:  (i)  A^^os  {ele- 
phas),  ivory,  and  iXecpalpo/jLai  (eU/>/iatromai),  to  cheat 
with  false  hope;  (2)  Kipas  (^keras),  horn,  and  Kpal- 
veiv  (^kraineiti),  to  fulfil.  See  Mortimer  Collins, The 
Ivory  Gate,  a  poem. 

Illustrative.  — Hades  :  P.  L.  2 :  964;  L.  Morris, 
Epic  of  Hades.  Styx:  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and 
Cressida  5  :  4;  Titus  Andron.  1:2;  Milton,  P.  L.  2: 
577;  Pope,  Dunciad  2:338.  Erebus:  Shake- 
speare, M.  of  Venice  5:1;  2  Hen.  IV.  2:4;  Jul. 
Goes.  2:1.  Cerberus:  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i,  11:41; 
Shakespeare,  Ix)ve's  L.  L.  5:2;  2  Hen.  IV.  2:4; 
Troil.  and  Cressida  2:1;  Titus  Andron.  2:5;  Max- 
well, Tom  May's  Death;  Milton,  L'All.  2.  Furies: 
Milton,  Lycidas;  P.  L.  2:596,  671 ;  6:859;  10: 
620;  P.  R.  9:422;  Comus  641;  Dryden,  Alexan- 
der's Feast  6;  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream  5:1; 
Rich.  III.  1:4;  2  Hen.  IV.  5  :  3.  Hecate:  Shake- 
speare, Macb.  4:1.  Sleep  and  Death:  Shelley,  To 
Night;   H.  K.  White,  Thanatos. 

In  Art.  —  Painting  of  a  Fury  by  M.  Angelo 
(Uffizi,  Florence). 

§§  52-54.  See  next  page  for  Genealogical  Table, 
Divinities  of  the  Sea. 

For  stories  of  the  Grseae,  Gorgons,  Scylla,  Sirens, 
Pleiades,  etc.,  consult  Index. 

Illustrative.  —  Oceanus :  Milton,  Comus  868. 
Neptune:  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i,  11:54;  Shakespeare, 
Tempest  1:2;  M.  N.  Dream  2:2;  Macb.  2:2; 
Cymbeline  3:1;  Hamlet  i :  l;  Milton,  Lycidas;  P. 
R.  1 :  190;  P.  L.  9:  18;  Comus  869;  Prior,  Ode  on 
Taking  of  Namur;  Waller's  Panegyric  to  the  Lord 
Protector. 

Harpies.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  3 :  403.  Sirens :  Wm. 
Morris,  Life  and  Death  of  Jason — Song  of  the 
Sirens.  Scylla  and  Charybdis  (see  Index)  :  Mil- 
ton, P.  L.  2:  660;  Arcades  63;  Comus  257;  Pope, 
Rape  of  Lock  3 :  122. 


COMMENT AR  Y. 


433 


Naiads.  —  Landor,  To  Joseph  Ablett; 
Shelley,  To  Liberty  S;  Spenser,  Prothala- 
mion  19;  Milton,  Lycidas;  P.  R.  2:355; 
Comus  254;  Buchanan,  Naiad,  see  §  120; 
Drummond  of  Hawthornden,  "  Nymphs,  sis- 
ter nymphs,  which  haunt  this  crystal  brook, 
And  happy  in  these  floating  bowers  abide," 
etc.;  Pope,  Summer  7;  Armstrong,  Art  of 
Preserving  Health,  "Come,  ye  Naiads!  to 
the  fountains  lead." 

Proteus.  —  Shakespeare,  Two  Gen.  of  Ve- 
rona i:i;  2:2;  3:2;  4:4;  Pope's  Dun- 
ciad  1:37;  2:109.  The  Water  Deities  are 
presented  in  a  masque  contained  in  Beaumont 
and  Fletcher's  Maid's  Tragedy. 

In  Art.  —  Neptune :  on  the  eastern  end  of 
the  Parthenon  frieze.  The  Atlas  (Gheco- 
Roman  sculpture)  in  National  Museum,  Na- 
ples; the  Triton  in  Vatican.  Modern  paint- 
ing :  J.  Van  Beers,  The  Siren. 

§  56.  Illustrative.  —  Saturn :  Miltom,  II 
Pens.;  Greene,  Arraignment  of  Paris. 
Fauns:  Milton,  Lycidas.  (See  Hawthorne's 
Marble  Faun.)  Bellona :  Shakespeare,  Macb., 
"  Bellona's  bridegroom,  lapped  in  proof"; 
Milton,  P.  L.  2 :  922.  Pomona :  Randolph, 
To  Master  Anthony  Stafford;  Milton,  P.  L. 
9:393;  5:378;  Thomson,  .Seasons,  Summer 
663.  Flora:  P.  L.  5:16;  .Spenser,  F.  Q.  i, 
4:  17;  R.  H.  Stoddard,  Arcadian  Hymn  to 
Mora;  Pope,  Windsor  Forest  38.  Janus: 
Jonathan  Swift,  To  Janus,  on  New  Year's  Day, 
1726;  Egeria,  one  of  the  Camence;  Childe 
Harold  4:  1 15-120;  Tennyson,  Palace  of  Art, 
"  Holding  one  hand  against  his  ear,"  etc.  Pan, 
etc. :  Milton,  P.  L.  4:  707;  4  :  329. 

In  Sculpture.  —  The  Faun  of  Praxiteles 
(Vatican,  Rome);  Dancing  Faun  (Lateran, 
Rome) ;  Dancing  Faun,  Drunken  Faun, 
Sleeping  Faun,  and  Faun  and  Bacchus  (Na- 
tional Museum,  Naples) ;  The  Barberini 
Faun,  or  Sleeping  Satyr  (Glyptothek,  Munich). 


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434  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Flora. — Painting  by  Titian  (Uffizi,  Florence). 

§  57.  The  first  love  of  Zeus  was  Metis,  daughter  of  Oceanus  and  Tethys. 
She  is  Prudence  or  Foreknowledge.  She  warned  Zeus  that  if  she  bore  him  a 
child,  it  would  be  greater  than  he.  Whereupon  Zeus  swallowed  her;  and,  in 
time,  from  his  head,  sprang  Athene,  "  the  virgin  of  the  azure  eyes,  Equal  in 
strength,  and  as  her  father  wise"  (Hesiod,  Theog.).  On  Latona,  see  §§  37, 
72,  and  Commentary. 

§  58.    For  Danae,  see  §  134;   for  Alcmene,  §  139;   for  Led  a,  §  165  <■. 

§  59.  In  the  following  general  table  of  the  Race  of  Inachus,  marriages  are 
indicated  in  the  usual  manner  (by  the  sign  = ,  or  by  parentheses) ;  the  more 
important  characters  mentioned  in  this  work  are  printed  in  heavy-face  type. 
While  numerous  less  important  branches,  families,  and  mythical  individuals  have 
been  intentionally  omitted,  it  is  hoped  that  this  reduction  of  various  relation- 
ships, elsewhere  explained  or  tabulated  to  a  general  scheme,  may  furnish  the 
reader  with  a  clearer  conception  of  the  family  ties  that  motivate  many  of  the 
incidents  of  mythical  adventure,  and  that  must  have  been  commonplaces  of 
information  to  those  who  invented  and  perpetuated  these  stories.  It  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  traditions  concerning  relationships  are  by  no  means 
consistent,  and  that  consequently  the  collation  of  mythical  genealogies  demands 
the  continual  exercise  of  discretion,  and  a  balancing  of  probabilities. 

Inachus  is  the  principal  river  of  Argolis  in  the  Peloponnesus. 

Interpretative.  —  lo  is  explained  as  the  horned  moon,  in  its  various  changes 
and  wanderings.  Argus  is  the  heaven  with  its  myriad  stars,  some  of  them 
shut,  some  blinking,  some  always  agleam.  The  wand  of  Hermes  and  his 
music  may  be  the  morning  breeze,  at  the  coming  of  which  the  eyes  of  heaven 
close  (Cox  2:  138;  Preller  2:40),  The  explanation  would,  however,  be  just 
as  probable  if  Mercury  (Hermes)  were  the  morning  twilight.  Pan  and  the 
Syrinx:  naturally  the  wind  playing  through  the  reeds,  if  (with  Muller  and 
Cox)  we  take  Pan  to  be  the  all-purifying,  but,  yet,  gentle  wind. 

Illustrative.  —  Shelley,  To  the  Moon :  "  Art  thou  pale  for  weariness  Of 
climbing  heaven  and  gazing  on  the  earth,  Wandering  companionless  Among 
the  stars  that  have  a  different  birth?"  Milton's  "To  behold  the  wandering 
moon.  Riding  near  her  highest  noon.  Like  one  that  had  been  led  astray. 
Through  the  heaven's  wide  pathless  way"  (II  Penseroso).  See  also  for  lo, 
Shelley's  Prometheus  Bound.     Argus:  Pope,  Dunciad  2:  374;   4:637. 

In  Art.  — Correggio's  painting,  Jupiter  and  lo;   not  a  pleasant  conception. 

§  60.  Interpretative. — The  myth  of  Callisto  and  Areas  is  of  Arcadian 
origin.  If  the  Arcadians,  in  very  remote  times,  traced  their  descent  from  a 
she-bear,  and  if  they  also,  like  other  races,  recognized  a  bear  in  a  certain 
constellation,  they  might  naturally  mix  the  fables  and  combine  them  later 
with   the   legend  of  the  all-powerful   Zeus  (Lang  2:  181).      According   to 


COMMENTARY. 


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436  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

another  account,  Callisto  was  punished  for  her  love  of  Jupiter  by  Diana 
(Artemis).  Her  name  has  been  identified  with  the  adjective  Calliste  (most 
fair),  which  was  certainly  applied  to  Artemis  herself.  That  Artemis  was 
protectress  of  she-bears  is  known;  also  that,  in  Attica,  she  was  served  by 
girls  who  imitated,  while  dancing,  the  gait  of  bears.  It  is  (Juite  possible, 
therefore,  that  Artemis  inherited  a  more  ancient  worship  of  the  bear,  that  may 
have  been  the  totem,  or  sacred  animal,  from  which  the  Arcadians  traced  a 
mythological  descent.  Others  hold  that  the  word  arksha,  a  star,  became 
confused  with  the  Greek  arktos,  a  bear.  So  the  myth  of  the  son  Areas 
(the  star  and  the  bear)  may  have  arisen  (Max  MUUer).  The  last  star  in  the 
tail  of  the  Little  Bear  is  the  Pole-Star,  or  Cynosure  (dog's  tail). 

Illustrative.  —  Milton's  "  Let  my  lamp  at  midnight  hour  Be  seen  in  some 
high  lonely  tower.  Where  I  may  oft  outivatch  the  Bear  "  (II  Penseroso);  and 
his  "  Where  perhaps  some  beauty  lies  The  Cynosure  of  neighb'ring  eyes " 
(L' Allegro) ;  also  his  "  And  thou  shalt  be  our  star  of  Arcady,  Or  Tyrian 
Cynosure"  (Comus).  Note  Lowell's  "The  Bear  that  prowled  all  night  about 
the  fold  Of  the  North-star  hath  shrunk  into  his  den"  (Prometheus).  See 
also  the  song  beginning  "  Hear  ye,  ladies,  that  despise  What  the  mighty  Love 
hath  done,"  in  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  drama,  Valentinian,  —  for  Callisto, 
Leda,  and  Danae. 

§  6i.   The  Descendants  of  Agenor.  —  For  general  table,  see  §  59  C. 

Table  E. 
Mars  ■=  Venus  Agenor 

Harmonia  =  Cadmus  Europa  =  Jupiter  Phoenix  Cilix 

.1 ^ 1 

Minos  Rhadamanthus  Sarpedon 

(§  149  c) 


I  I  .  I  I 

Semele  =  Jupiter      Ino  =  Athamas        Autonoe  =  Arista:us       Agave        Polydorus 

II  III 

Bacchus  Melicertes  Actaeon  Pentheus      Labdacus 

(§  62)  (§  129)  (§  89)  (§§  102,  103)  1 

Lai  us 

Oedipus 

(royal  family  of  Thebes) 

(§  159) 

Textual. — Moschus  lived  about  the  close  of  the  third  century  B.C.  in 
Syracuse.  He  was  a  grammarian  and  an  idyllic  poet.  He  calls  himself  a 
pupil  of  Bion,  —  whose  Lament  for  Adonis  is  given  in  §  93.  Both  Bion  and 
Moschus  belong  to  the  School  of  Theocritus  —  the  Idyllic  or  Pastoral  School 
of  Poetry.      Cypris :    Venus,  by  whom  the  island  of  Cyprus  was  beloved. 


COAfMENTARY.  437 

Mygdonian  flutes :  the  ancients  had  three  species  or  modes  of  music,  depend- 
ing^, respectively,  upon  the  succession  of  musical  intervals  which  was  adopted 
as  the  basis  of  the  system.  The  Lydian  measures  were  shrill  and  lively;  the 
Dorian  deep  in  tone,  grave,  and  solemn;  the  Mygdonian,  or  Phrygian,  were 
supposed  by  some  to  have  been  the  same  as  the  Lydian;  but  more  probably 
they  were  a  combination  of  Lydian  and  Dorian.  Shaker  of  the  World : 
Neptune.  Crete :  where  Jupiter  had  been  concealed  from  his  father  Cronus, 
and  nourished  by  the  goat  Amalthea. 

Interpretative.  —  Herodotus  says  that  Europa  was  a  historical  princess  of 
Tyre,  carried  off  by  Hellenes  to  Crete.  Taurus  (the  bull)  was  euhemeris- 
tically  conceived  to  be  a  king  of  Crete  who  carried  off  the  Tyrian  princess  as 
prize  of  war.  Others  said  that  probably  the  figure-head  of  the  ship  in  which 
Kuropa  was  conveyed  to  Crete  was  a  hull.  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  story 
indicates  a  settlement  of  Phoenicians  in  Crete  and  the  introduction  by  them  of 
cattle.  Modern  critics,  such  as  Preller  and  Welcker,  make  Europa  a  goddess 
of  the  moon  =  Diana  or  Astarte,  and  translate  her  name  "  the  dark,  or  obscured 
one."  But  she  has  undoubtedly  a  connection  with  the  earth,  perhaps  as  wife 
of  Jupiter  (the  Heaven).  H.  D.  Muller  connects  both  lo  and  Europa  with 
the  wandering  Demeter  (or  Ceres),  and  considers  Demeter  to  be  a  goddess 
both  of  the  moon  and  of  the  earth  (Helbig,  in  Roscher).  Cox,  after  his 
usual  method,  finds  here  the  Dawn  borne  across  the  heaven  by  the  lord  of  the 
pure  ether.  Europa  would  then  be  the  broad-spreading  flush  of  dawn,  seen 
first  in  the  purple  region  of  morning  (Phoenicia).  Her  brother  Cadmus,  who 
pursues  her,  would  be  the  sun  searching  for  his  lost  sister  or  bride.  Very 
fanciful,  but  inconclusive.  The  bull  occurs  not  infrequently  in  myth  as  an 
incarnation  of  deity. 

Illustrative.  —  \V.  S.  Landor,  Europa  and  her  Mother;  Aubrey  De  Vere, 
The  Rape  of  Europa;  E.  Dowden,  Europa;  \V.  W.  Story,  Europa,  a  sonnet. 
See  also  a  graceful  picture  in  Tennyson's  Palace  of  Art. 

In  Art.  —  The  marble  group  in  the  Vatican,  Europa  riding  the  Bull;  paint- 
ing by  Paul  Veronese,  The  Rape  of  Europa;   Europa,  by  Claude  Lorrain. 

§  62.    See  tables,  D  and  E  in  §§  59  and  61. 

Interpretative.  —  According  to  Preller,  Semele  is  a  personification  of  the 
fertile  soil  in  spring,  which  brings  forth  the  productive  vine.  In  the  irrational 
part  of  the  myth,  Jove  takes  the  child  Dionysus  (Bacchus)  after  Semele's 
death,  and  sews  him  up  in  his  thigh  for  safe  keeping.  Preller  finds  here  "  the 
wedlock  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  first  day  that  it  thunders  in  March."  Ex- 
actly why,  might  be  easy  to  guess,  but  hard  to  demonstrate.  The  thigh  of 
Jupiter  Would  have  to  be  the  cool  moist  clouds  brooding  over  the  youthful 
vine.  The  whole  explanation  is  altogether  too  conjectural.  See  A.  Lang 
2:  221-225,  for  a  more  plausible  but  less  poetic  theory. 


438  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Illustrative.  —  Bowring's  translation  of  Schiller's  Semele;  E.  R.  Sill's 
Semele,  of  which  a  part  is  given  in  the  text. 

§  63.  Textual.  — The  son  of  /Egina  and  Jove  was  j^acus  (for  genealogy, 
see  §  165  (l)  C).  .Sgina:  an  island  in  the  Saronic  Gulf,  between  Attica  and 
Argolis.  Asopus :  the  name  of  two  rivers,  one  in  Achrca,  one  in  Bceotia,  of 
which  the  latter  is  the  more  important.  The  Greek  traveller,  Pausanias,  tells 
us  that  Asopus  was  the  discoverer  of  the  river  which  bears  his  name.  Sisy- 
phus, see  §  175.  This  description  of  the  plague  is  copied  by  Ovid  from  the 
account  which  Thucydides  g'ves  of  the  plague  of  Athens.  That  account, 
much  fuller  than  is  here  given,  was  drawn  from  life,  and  has  been  the  source 
from  which  many  subsequent  poets  and  novelists  have  drawn  details  of  similar 
scenes.  The  Myrmidons  were,  during  the  Trojan  War,  the  soldiers  of  Achil- 
les, grandson  of  this  king  /Eacus. 

Interpretative.  —  The  name  .^gina  may  imply  either  the  shore  on  which 
the  waves  break  (Preller),  or  the  sacred  goat  {Aigeus),  which  was  the  Mem 
of  the  ^geus-family  of  Attica.  The  worship  of  Athene  was  introduced  into 
Athens  by  this  family.  In  sacrifices  the  goddess  was  clad  in  the  skin  of  the 
sacred  goat,  but  no  goat  might  be  sacrificed  to  her.  Probably  another  example 
of  the  survival  of  a  savage  ritual  (Lang  i.  280). 
Illustrative.  —  Myrmidons :  — 

"  No,  no,  said  Rhadamant,  it  were  not  well, 
With  loving  souls  to  place  a  martialist ; 
He  died  in  war,  and  must  to  martial  fields, 

Where  wounded  Hector  lives  in  lasting  pain, 
And  Achilles'  Myrmidons  do  scour  the  plain." 

Kyd,  Spanish  Tragedy. 

On  Sisyphus,  read  Lewis  Morris'  poem  in  the  Epic  of  Hades. 

§  64.  Textual.  — Maenad:  the  Maenades  were  women  who  danced  them- 
selves into  a  frenzy  in  the  orgies  or  festivals  of  Bacchus,  from  fiaivofiai  (mat- 
nomai),  to  rage.  Cithsron:  a  mountain  range  south  of  Thebes  and  between 
Bceotia  and  Attica. 

Interpretative. — Antiope,  philologically  interpreted,  may  indicate  the 
moon  with  face  turned  full  upon  us.  That  Antiope  is  a  personification  of 
some  such  natural  phenomena  would  also  appear  from  the  significance  of  the 
names  associated  with  hers  in  the  myth :  Nycteus,  the  night-man  ;  Lycus, 
the  man  of  light.  Amphion  and  Zethus  are  thought,  in  like  fashion,  to 
represent  manifestations  of  light:  see  also  Castor  and  Pollux.  Perhaps  the 
method  employed  by  Zethus  and  Amphion  in  building  Thebes  may  merely 
symbolize  the  advantage  of  combining  mechanical  force  with  well-ordered  or 
harmonious  thought. 

In  Art.  —  Modern  painting:   Correggio's  Antiope. 


COMMENTARY.  439 

§65.  Textual.  —  Phrygia:  a  province  in  Asia  Minor,  l-or  Minerva's 
protection  of  the  olive,  see  §  67.     Tyana  is  a  town  in  Cappadocia,  Asia  Minoj:. 

§  66.  Textual.  — Argos:  the  capital  of  Argolis  in  the  Peloponnesus.  Of 
Cydippe,  it  is  told,  in  Ovid's  Ileroides  and  elsewhere,  that,  when  a  girl  sacri- 
Hcing  in  the  temple  of  Diana  in  Delos,  she  was  seen  and  loved  by  a  youth, 
Acontius.  He  threw  before  her  an  apple,  on  which  these  words  were  inscribed, 
"  I  swear  by  the  sanctuary  of  Diana  to  marry  Acontius."  The  maiden  read 
aloud  the  words,  and  threw  the  apple  away.  But  the  vow  was  registered  by 
Diana,  who,  in  spite  of  many  delays,  brought  about  the  marriage  of  Cydippe 
and  her  unknown  lover.  Polyclitus  the  Elder  of  Argos  lived  about  431  B.C., 
andxwas  a  contemporary  of  two  other  great  sculptors,  Phidias  and  Myron. 
His  greatest  work  was  the  chryselephantine  statue  of  Hera  for  her  temple 
between  Argos  and  Mycenae. 

Illustrative.  —  Beside  Gosse's  Sons  of  Cydippe,  see  verses  by  L.  J.  Rich- 
ardson, in  The  Inlander,  Ann  Arbor,  Vol.  2 :  2.  For  the  story  of  Acontius 
anil  Cydippe,  see  William  Morris'  Earthly  Paradise;  and  Lytton's  Cydippe 
or  The  Apples:  The  Lost  Tales  of  Miletus. 

In  Art.  — The  wonderfully  graceful  and  severe  design  in  clay  by  Teign- 
mouth,  of  which  prints  may  be  obtained,  was  made  to  illustrate  Gosse's  poem. 

§  67.  Textual.  —  For  Cecrops,  see  §  151.  He  named  the  city  that  he 
founded  Cecropia,  —  a  name  which  afterwards  clung  to  Athens.  For  an 
excellent  description  of  ancient  weaving,  see  Catullus  64 :  304-323  (The 
Peleus  and  Thetis).  For  translation,  see  §  165  a.  Leda,  mother  of  Castor, 
Pollux,  Helen,  and  Qytemnestra,  see  §  165  c  and  Commentary.  Danae, 
mother  of  Perseus,  see  §  134. 

Interpretative. — The  waves  were  the  coursers  of  Neptune:  the  horses 
with  which  he  scours  the  strand.  Arachne:  a  princess  of  Lydia.  It  is 
probable  that  the  myth  symbolizes  the  competition  in  products  of  the  loom 
between  Attica  and  Asia  Minor  and  the  superior  handicraft  of  the  Athe- 
nian weavers. 

Illustrative. — Arachne:  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida  5:2;  Pope, 
Dunciad  4 :  590.     Poem:  Garrick,  Upon  a  Lady's  Embroidery. 

§  68.  Textual.  —  Diomede :  for  his  genealogy,  see  §  148  C,  or  132  (5)  C. 
Taslets:  armor  worn  about  the  thighs.  Cyprian:  Venus.  Paean  (Paeon, 
or  Paieon),  classed  by  Homer  among  the  Olympian  gods,  of  whom  he  is,  as 
his  name  implies,  the  " healer."  Later,  the  name  was  applied  to  .Esculapius, 
then  to  any  god  who  might  repair  or  avert  evil  of  any  kind,  as,  for  instance, 
to  .Apollo  and  to  Thanatos  (Death).  See  Armstrong's  Art  of  Health,  "So 
Pjean,  so  the  powers  of  Health  command,"  etc.,  and  "  the  wise  of  ancient 
days  Adored  one  power  of  physic,  melody  and  song."  Pxans  were  chants  in 
honor  of  Apollo,  sung  to  deprecate  misfortune  in  battle,  or  to  avert  disease. 


440  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Lower  than  the  sons  of  Heaven :  lower  than  the  Titans,  sons  of  Uranus 
(Heaven),  who  were  plunged  into  Tartarus  (see  §  17). 

§  69.  Textual.  —  Lessing  points  out  in  his  Laocoon  the  artistic  skill  with 
which  Homer,  stating  the  size  of  the  stone  hurled  by  Minerva  and  the  naeasure 
of  the  space  covered  by  Mars,  suggests  the  gigantic  proportions  of  the  warring 
divinities. 

§  70.  Textual.  —  Family  of  Cadmus:  see  Tables  D  and  £,§§59-61, 
Commentary.  Castalian  Cave  of  Mount  Parnassus,  Phocis;  here  was  the 
famous  Delphic  oracle  of  Apollo.  (See  §  38.)  Cephissus :  a  river  running 
through  Doris,  Phocis,  and  Boeotia  into  the  Euba*an  Gulf;  the  valley  of  the 
Cephissus  was  noted  for  its  fertility.  Panope:  a  town  on  the  Cephissus. 
Tyrians :  Cadmus  and  his  followers  came  from  Tyre  in  Phoenicia.  The 
Necklace  of  Harmonia  was  a  fateful  gift.  It  brought  evil  to  whomsoever 
it  belonged:  to  all  the  descendants  of  Cadmus;  to  Eriphyle,  wife  of  Amphi- 
araus  of  Argos,  to  whom  Polynices  gave  it;  and  to  the  sons  of  Eriphyle.  It 
was  finally  dedicated  to  Apollo  in  Delphi.  Harmonia's  robe  possessed  the 
same  fataHty,  §§  163,  164  a.  Enchelians :  a  people  of  lllyria.  For  the 
myths  of  Semele,  see  §  62;  of  Ino,  §  129;  of  Autonoe  and  her  son,  Actaeon, 
§  89;  of  Agave  and  her  son,  Pentheus,  §  103;  of  Polydorus,  the  Labda- 
cidae,  CEdipus,  etc.,  §  159.  Eight  years:  the  usual  period  of  penance. 
Apollo,  after  slaying  the  Python,  had  to  clear  himself  of  blood-guiltiness  by 
serving  Admetus  for  eight  years  (§  80). 

Interpretative.  —  Cadmus  and  his  Tyrians :  according  to  the  usual 
explanation,  this  myth  is  based  upon  an  immigration  of  Phoenicians,  who  settled 
Boeotia,  and  gave  laws,  the  rudiments  of  culture  (alphabet,  etc.),  and  indus- 
trial arts  to  the  older  races  of  Greece.  Many  Theban  names,  such  as  Meli- 
certes,  Cadmus,  point  to  a  possible  Phoenician  origin;  cf.  Semitic  Melkarth, 
and  Kedem,  the  East.  But  Preller  holds  that  two  mythical  personages,  a 
Greek  Cadmus  and  a  Phoenician  .Cadmus,  have  been  confounded;  that  the 
Theban  Cadmus  is  merely  the  representative  of  the  oldest  Theban  state;  that 
the  selection  of  the  spot  on  which  a  heifer  had  lain  down  was  a  frequent 
practice  among  settlers,  superstitious  about  the  site  of  their  new  town;  that 
the  dragon  typifies  the  cruel  and  forbidding  nature  of  the  uncultivated  sur- 
roundings; that  the  story  of  the  dragon's  teeth  was  manufactured  to  flatter 
the  warlike  spirit  of  the  Thebans,  the  teeth  themselves  being  spear-points. 

Harmonia,  daughter  of  the  patron  deities  of  Thebes,  is  the  symbol  of  the 
peace  and  domesticity  that  attend  the  final  establishment  of  order  in  the  State. 

According  to  the  Sun-and-Cloud  theory  of  Cox,  Cadmus,  the  Sun,  pursues 
his  sister,  Europa,  the  broad-flushing  light  of  Dawn,  who  has  been  carried  off 
on  a  spotless  cloud  (the  Bull).  The  Sun,  of  course,  must  journey  further  west 
than  Crete.     The  heifer  that  he  is  to  follow  is,  therefore,  still  another  cloud 


COMMENT AR  V.  441 

(like  the  cattle  of  the  Sun:  clouds,  §  171).  The  dragon  of  Mars  is  still  a 
third  cloud;  and  this  the  Sun  dissipates.  A  storm  follows,  after  which  new 
conflicts  arise  between  the  clouds  that  have  sprung  up  from  the  moistened 
earth  (the  harvest  of  armed  men!).  This  kind  of  explanation,  indiscrimi- 
nately indulged,  delights  the  fancy  of  the  inventor  and  titillates  the  risiblcs  of 
the  reader. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  9:506.  The  serpent  that  tempted  Eve: 
compared  %vith  the  serpents  Cadmus  and  "  Hermione."  See  Byron,  Don  Juan 
3:  86,  "You  have  the  letters  Cadmus  gave;  Think  you  he  meant  them  for  a 
slave  ?  " 

§  71.  Textual.  —  Eurynome  is  represented  by  some  as  one  of  the  Titans, 
the  wife  of  Ophion.  Ophion  and  Eurynome,  according  to  one  legend,  ruled 
over  heaven  before  the  age  of  Saturn  (Cronus).  So  Milton,  P.  L.,  "  And 
fabled  how  the  serpent,  whom  they  called  Ophion,  with  Eurynome  (the  wide- 
Encroaching  Eve  perhaps),  had  first  the  rule  Of  high  Olympus,  thence  by 
Saturn  driven."  According  to  Vulcan's  statement  (Iliad  18),  Eurynome  was 
daughter  of  Oceanus  and  Tethys.  She  was  mother,  by  Jupiter,  of  the  Graces. 
Thetis:  see  §§  52,  165  (i),  etc.  Xanthus:  the  principal  river  of  Lycia 
in  Asia  Minor. 

§  72.  Interpretative.  —  Latona  (Leto)  :  According  to  Homer,  one  of  the 
deities  of  Olympus ;  a  daughter  of  the  Titans  Coeus  and  Phcebe,  whose  names 
indicate  phenomena  of  radiant  light.  She  belonged,  perhaps,  to  an  ancient 
theogony  of  Asia  Minor.  At  any  rate  she  held  at  one  time  the  rank  of  lawful 
wife  to  Zeus.  Preller  and,  after  him.  Cox,  take  Leto  as  /Ae  dusk  or  dark- 
tuss.  Cox  traces  the  word  to  the  root  of  Lethe  (the  forgetful),  but  Preller  is 
doubtful.  Possibly  Leto  and  Leda  (the  mother  of  the  bright  Castor  and 
Pollux)  have  something  in  common.  The  wanderings  of  Latonjf  may  be  the 
weary  journey  of  the  night  over  the  mountain-tops,  both  before  and  after  the 
Sun  (.\pollo)  is  lx)rn,  in  Delos  (the  land  of  Dawn).  See  also  §§  37,  57,  and 
Commentary  thereon. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  Arcades;  sonnet  7,  '^On  the  detraction  which 
followed  upon  his  writing  certain  treatises." 

§  73.  Textual.  —  Hyperboreans  :  those  who  dwell  in  the  land  beyond  the 
North.  Paean,  see  §  68  C.  Tityus :  an  earth-born  giant;  condemned  to 
the  underworld,  he  lay  stretched  over  nine  acres  while  two  vultures  devoured 
his  liver  (§  21). 

Interpretative.  —  Python :  In  many  savage  mjthe,  a  serpent,  a  frog,  or  a 
lizard  that  drinks  up  all  the  waters,  is  destroyed  by  some  national  hero  or  god. 
As  Mr.  Lang  says :  "  Whether  the  slaying  of  the  Python  was  or  was  not  origi- 
nally an  allegory  of  the  defeat  of  winter  by  sunlight,  it  certainly,  at  a  very  early 
period,  became  mixed  up  with  ancient  legal  ideas  and  local  traditions.     It  is 


442  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

almost  as  necessary  for  a  young  god  or  hero  to  slay  monsters  as  for  a  young 
lady  to  be  presented  at  court;  and  we  may  hesitate  to  explain  all  these  legends 
of  an  useful  feat  of  courage  as  nature  myths"  (Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2:  196). 
Compare  the  feats  of  Hercules,  Jason,  Bellerophon,  Perseus,  St.  George  and 
the  Dragon,  Sigurd,  and  Jack  the  Giant-killer.  Commentators  take  Python  to 
be  the  rigor  of  winter,  or  the  darkness  of  night,  or  a  "  black  storm-cloud  which 
shuts  up  the  waters"  (Cox).  It  is  not  impossible  that  the  Python  was  the 
sacred  snake  of  an  older  animal-worship  superseded  by  that  of  Apollo. 

§  74.  Textual.  —  The  Tyrian  hue  is  purple,  made  from  the  juice  of  the 
murex,  or  purple  shell-fish.  On  the  leaves  of  the  hyacinth  were  inscribed 
characters  like  Ai,  Ai,  the  Greek  exclamation  of  woe.  It  is  evidently  not  our 
modern  hyacinth  that  is  here  described,  but  perhaps  some  species  of  iris,  or  of 
larkspur,  or  pansy.  The  meaning  of  the  name  is  also  uncertain,  but  the  best 
authorities  favor  yotithftd.  A  festival  called  the  Hyacinthia  was  celebrated, 
in  commemoration  of  the  myth,  over  a  large  part  of  the  Peloponnesus.  It 
lasted  some  nine  or  eleven  days,  probably  in  the  first  half  of  May.  It  consisted 
of  chants  of  lamentation  and  fasting  during  the  first  days;  during  the  later 
days,  of  processions,  joyous  choral  songs,  dances,  feasting,  and  sacrifice. 

Interpretative.  —  Most  scholars  consider  Hyacinthus  to  be  the  personifica- 
tion of  the  blooming  vegetation  of  spring,  which  withers  under  the  heats  of 
summer.  The  Hyacinthian  festival  seems  to  have  celebrated  —  like  the  Linus 
festival  and  the  Eleusinian  —  the  transitory  nature  of  life  and  the  hope  of 
immortality. 

Illustrative.  —  Keats,  Endymion,  "  Pitying  the  sad  death  Of  Hyacinthus, 
when  the  cool  breath  Of  Zephyr  slew  him  "  (see  context) ;  Milton's  Lycidas, 
"  Like  to  that  sanguine  flower  inscribed  with  woe." 

§  75.  Textual.  — Clymene :  a  daughter  of  Oceanus  and  Tethys.  Chryso- 
lite :  or  "  gold-stone,"our  topaz.  Daystar :  see  Phosphor,  §  43  ( 1 1 ) .  Ambro- 
sia (d)ii/3p6fl-io5,  i/i^poTos,  d-^poT6s)  "immortal,"  —  here,  "food  for  the  immor- 
tals." Turn  off  to  the  left:  indicating  the  course  of  the  sun,  west  by  south. 
The  Serpent,  or  Dragon  :  a  constellation  between  the  Great  and  Little  Bears. 
Bootes :  the  constellation  called  the  Wagoner.  The  limits  of  the  Scorpion  were 
restricted  by  the  insertion  of  the  sign  of  the  Scales.  Athos :  a  mountain  forming 
the  eastern  of  three  peninsulas  south  of  Macedonia.  Mount  Taurus :  in  Ar- 
menia. Mount  Tmolus :  in  Lydia.  Mount  (Ete:  between  Thessaly  and /Etolia, 
where  Hercules  ascended  his  funeral  pile.  Ida :  the  name  of  two  mountains, 
—  one  in  Crete,  where  Jupiter  was  nurtured  by  Amalthea;  the  other  in  Phrygia, 
near  Troy.  Mount  Helicon :  in  Bceotia,  sacred  also  to  Apollo.  Mount  Haemus : 
in  Thrace.  .£tna:  in  Sicily.  Parnassus:  in  Phocis;  one  peak  was  sacred 
to  Apollo,  the  other  to  the  Muses.  The  Castalian  Spring,  sacred  to  the 
Muses,  is  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain;   Delphi  is  nearby.     Rhodope :  part 


COMMENTAR  Y.  443 

of  the  H?emus  range  of  mountains.  Scythia :  a  general  designation  of 
Europe  and  Asia  north  of  the  I51ack  Sea.  Caucasus:  between  the  Black 
and  Caspian  seas.  Mount  Ossa :  associated  with  Mount  Pelion  in  the  story 
of  the  giants  who  piled  one  on  top  of  the  other  in  their  attempt  to  scale 
Olympus.  These  mountains,  with  Pindus,  are  in  Thessaly.  Libyan  des- 
ert :  in  Africa.  Libya  was  fabled  to  have  been  the  daughter  of  Epaphus, 
king  of  Egypt.  Tanais:  the  Don,  in  Scythia.  Cai'cus:  a  river  of  Greater 
Mysia,  flowing  into  the  sea  at  Lesbos.  Xanthus  and  Mseander :  rivers  of 
Phrygia,  flowing  near  Troy.  Cayster :  a  river  of  Ionia,  noted  for  its  so-called 
"tuneful"  swans.  For  Nereus,  Doris,  Nereids,  etc.,  see  §  52.  Eridanus: 
the  mythical  name  of  the  river  Po  in  Italy  (amber  was  found  on  its  banks). 
Naiads,  §  54  (6). 

Interpretative.  —  Apollo  assumed  many  of  the  attributes  of  Helios,  the 
older  divinity  of  the  sun,  who  is  ordinarily  reputed  to  be  the  father  of  Phaethon 
(ordinarily  anglicized  Phaeton).  The  name  Phaethon,  like  the  name  Phoebus, 
means  "  the  radiant  one."  The  sun  is  called  both  Helios  Phaethon  and  He- 
lios Phoebus  in  Homer.  It  was  an  easy  feat  of  the  imagination  to  make  Phae- 
thon the  incautious  son  of  Helios,  or  Apollo,  and  to  suppose  that  extreme 
drought  is  caused  by  his  careless  driving  of  his  father's  chariot.  The  drought 
is  succeeded  by  a  thunderstorm,  and  by  lightning  which  puts  an  end  to  Phae- 
thon. The  rain  that  succeeds  the  lightning  is,  according  to  Cox,  the  tears  of 
the  Heliades.  It  is  hardly  wise  to  press  the  analogy  so  far,  unless  one  is 
prepared  to  explain  the  amber  in  the  same  way. 

Illustrative.  —  Milman  in  his  Samor  alludes  to  the  story.  See  also  Chau- 
cer, H.  of  F.  435;  Spenser,  F.  Q.  1,4:9;  Shakespeare,  Rich.  II.  3:3;  Two 
Gen.  of  Verona  3:1;  3  Hen.  VI.  1:4;  2:6;  Rom.  and  Jul.  3 :  2.  Poems  : 
Prior,  Female  Phaeton;  J.  G.  Saxe,  Phaeton;  and  G.  Meredith,  Phaeton. 
For  description  of  the  palace  and  chariot  of  the  Sun,  see  Landor,  Gebir,  Bk.  i. 

§  76.  Textual.  —  For  the  siege  of  Troy,  see  Chap.  XXV.  Atrides 
(Atreides)  :  the  son  of  Atreus,  Agamemnon.  The  ending  ides  means  son  of, 
and  is  used  in  patronymics;  for  instance,  Pelides  (Peleides),  Achilles;  Tydides, 
Diomede,  son  of  Tydeus.  The  ending  is,  in  patronymics,  means  daughter  of; 
as  Tyndaris,  daughter  of  Tyndarus  (Tyndareus),  Helen;  Chryseis,  daughter 
of  Chryses. 


444  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§  77.  The  Dynasty  of  Tantalus  and  its  Connections. — See  also  §  132 
(5)C. 

Table  F. 

Jupiter       Atlas  Atlas 

I  I  I 

Tantalus  =  Dionc     Mars  =  Sterope  II. 
Jupiter  =  Antiope  (§  64)  (k.  of  Phrygia)  | 

I  I  CEnomaiis 

Amphion  =  Niobe  Pelops  =  Hippodamia 

7  sons  and  7  daughters 

(§  77)  Minos  II.  (§  149) 


1  1 

Aerope  =  Atreus  Thyestes  Pittheus 
I                                     I                  (k.  of  Troezen) 

I  1  I  I 

Agamemnon       Menelaus      iEgisthus  yEthra  =  i^geus 

(§  165  and  (§  165)  (§  i6s)  I 

§  132  (5)  c)  Theseus 

.      (§152) 

Pelops.  —  It  is  said  that  the  goddess  Demeter  in  a  (it  of  absent-mindechiess 
ate  the  shoulder  of  Pelops.  The  part  was  replaced  in  ivory  when  Pelops  was 
restored  to  life.    Mount  Cynthus  :  in  Delos,  where  Apollo  and  Diana  were  born. 

Interpretative.  —  Max  Muller  derives  Niobe  from  the  root  siiu,  or  snigh, 
from  which  come  the  words  for  snmu  in  the  Indo-European  languages.  In 
Latin  and  Greek,  the  stem  is  Niv,  hence  Nib,  Niolie.  The  myth,  therefore, 
would  signify  the  melting  of  snow  and  the  destruction  of  its  icy  offspring 
under  the  rays  of  the  spring  sun  (Sci.  Relig.  372).  According  to  Homer 
(Iliad  24:  611),  there  were  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  After  their  death 
no  one  could  bury  them,  since  all  who  looked  on  them  were  turned  to  stone. 
The  burial  was,  accordingly,  performed  on  the  tenth  day  after  the  massa- 
cre, by  Jupiter  and  the  other  gods.  This  petrifaction  of  the  onlookers  may 
indicate  the  operation  of  the  frost.  Cox  says  that  Niobe,  the  snow,  compares 
her  golden-tinted,  wintry  mists  or  clouds  with  the  splendor  of  the  sun  and 
moon.  Others  look  upon  the  myth  as  significant  of  the  withering  of  spring 
vegetation  under  the  heats  of  summer  (Preller).  The  latter  explanation  is 
not  satisfactory. 

Illustrative.  —  Pope,  Dunciad  2:311;  Lewis  Morris,  Niobe  on  Sipylus 
(Songs  Unsung);  Byron's  noble  stanza  on  fallen  Rome,  "The  Niobe  of 
nations !  there  she  stands,  childless  and  crownless  in  her  voiceless  woe,"  etc. ; 
Childe  Harold  4:79;  W.  S.  Landor,  Niobe;  Frederick  Tennyson,  Niobe. 
On  Tantalus,  Lewis  Morris,  Tantalus,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades.  On  Sir  Rich- 
ard Blackmore,  a  physician  and  poor  poet,  Thomas  Moore  writes  the  following 

stanza :  —  ® 

"  'Twas  in  his  carriage  the  sublime 

Sir  Richard  Blackmore  used  to  rhyme. 


COMMENTAR  Y.  445 

And,  if  the  wits  don't  do  him  wrong, 

'Twixt  death  and  epics  passed  his  time. 

Scribbling  and  killing  all  day  long ; 

Like  Phoebus  in  his  car  at  ease, 
Now  warbling  forth  a  lofty  song. 

Now  murdering  the  young  Niobes." 

In  Art.  — The  restoration  of  the  statue  of  Niobe,  Mount  Sipylus;  of  extreme 
antiquity.  The  illustration  in  the  text  is  from  a  statue  in  the  Imperial  Gallery 
of  Horence.  It  is  the  principal  figure  of  a  group  supposed  to  have  been 
originally  arranged  in  the  pediment  of  a  temple.  The  figure  of  the  mother, 
clasped  by  the  arm  of  her  terrified  child,  is  one  of  the  most  admired  of  the 
ancient  statues.  It  ranks  with  the  I^ocoon  and  the  Apollo  Belvedere  among 
the  masterpieces  of  art.  The  following  is  a  translation  of  a  Greek  epigram 
supposed  to  relate  to  this  statue :  — 

"  To  stone  the  gods  have  changed  her,  but  in  vain ; 
The  sculptor's  art  has  made  her  breathe  again." 

There  is  a  headless  Niobe  in  the  Vatican,  Rome. 

§  78.  Interpretative. — The  month  in  which  the  festival  of  Linus  took 
place  was  called  the  Lambs'  Month :  the  days  were  the  Lambs'  Days,  on 
one  of  which  was  a  massacre  of  dogs.  Possibly,  the  myth  illustrates  the  heat 
of  the  dog-days  (attributed  to  Sirius,  the  dog-star)  and  the  peril  to  which 
children  were  liable  during  the  hot  season.  According  to  some,  Linus  was  a 
minstrel,  son  of  Apollo  and  the  Muse  Urania,  and  the  teacher  of  Orpheus  and 
Hercules.  The  Linus-song  (composed  by  Linus  or  sung  in  honor  of  him)  is 
placed  by  Homer  (Iliad  18:  570)  in  the  mouth  of  a  bay  who  accompanies 
himself  on  the  cithara,  while  the  vintagers  are  at  work. 

§  79.  Centaurs.  —  Monsters  represented  as  men  from  the  head  to  the 
loins,  while  the  remainder  of  the  body  was  that  of  a  horse.  Centaurs  are 
the  only  monsters  of  antiquity  to  which  any  good  traits  were  assigned. 
They  were  admitted  to  the  companionship  of  men.  Chiron  was  the  wisest 
and  justest  of  the  Centaurs.  At  his  death  he  was  placed  by  Jupiter  among 
the  stars  as  the  constellation  Sagittarius  (the  Archer).  Hessenia:  in  the 
Peloponnesus.  iBsculapius :  there  were  numerous  oracles  of  ^Esculapius, 
but  the  most  celebrated  was  at  Epidaurus.  Here  the  sick  sought  responses 
and  the  recovery  of  their  health  by  sleeping  in  the  temple.  It  has  been  inferred 
from  the  accounts  that  have  come  down  to  us  that  the  treatment  of  the  sick 
resembled  what  is  now  called  animal  magnetism  or  mesmerism. 

Serpents  were  sacred  to  .-Esculapius,  probably  because  of  a  superstition  that 
those  animals  have  a  faculty  of  renewing  their  youth  by  a  change  of  skin. 
The  worship  of  /lisculapius  was  introduced  into  Rome  in  a  time  of  great  sick- 


446  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

ness.  An  embassy  sent  to  the  temple  of  Epidaurus  to  entreat  the  aid  of 
the  god  was  propitiously  received;  and  on  the  return  of  the  ship  /Escu- 
lapius  accompanied  it  in  the  form  of  a  serpent.  Arriving  in  the  river  Tiber, 
the  serpent  glided  from  the  vessel  and  took  possession  of  an  island,  upon  which 
a  temple  was  soon  erected  to  his  honor. 

Interpretative.  —  The  healing  powers  of  nature  may  be  here  symbolized. 
But  it  is  more  likely  that  the  family  of  Asclepiadae  (a  medical  clan)  in- 
vented Asclepios,  as,  at  once,  their  ancestor  and  the  son  of  the  god  of  heal- 
ing, Apollo. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  9:506;  Shakespeare,  Pericles  3:2;  Merry 
Wives  2 :  3. 

In  Art.  —  iEsculapius  (sculpture),  Vatican;  Thorwaldsen's  (sculpture) 
Hygea  (Health)  and  .^Esculapius,  Copenhagen. 

§  80.  Interpretative.  —  Perhaps  the  unceasing  and  unvarying  round  of 
the  sun  led  to  the  conception  of  him  as  a  servant.  Max  Miiller  cites  the 
Peruvian  Inca  who  said  that  if  the  sun  were  free,  like  fire,  he  would  visit  new 
parts  of  the  heavens.  "  He  is,"  said  the  Inca,  "  like  a  tied  beast  who  goes 
ever  round  and  round  in  the  same  track  "  (Chips.  2:  113).  Nearly  all  Greek 
heroes  had  to  undergo  servitude,  —  Hercules,  Perseus,  etc.  No  stories  are 
more  beautiful  or  more  lofty  than  those  which  express  the  hope,  innate  in  the 
human  heart,  that  somewhere  and  at  some  time  some  god  has  lived  as  a  man 
among  men  and  for  the  good  of  men.  ouch  stories  are  not  confined  to  the 
Greeks  or  the  Hebrews. 

Illustrative.  —  R.  Browning,  Apollo  and  the  Fates;  Edith  M.  Thomas, 
Apollo  the  Shepherd;   Emma  Lazarus,  Admetus;   W.  M.  W.  Call,  Admetus. 

§  81.  Textual.  — Alcestis  was  a  daughter  of  the  Pelias  who  was  killed  at 
the  instigation  of  Medea  (§  145,  etc.).  In  that  affair  Alcestis  took  no  part. 
For  her  family,  see  §  132  (5)  C  or  95  C.  She  was  held  in  the  highest 
honor  in  Greek  fable,  and  ranked  with  Penelope  and  Laodamia,  the  latter 
of  whom  was  her  niece.  To  explain  the  myth  as  a  physical  allegory  would 
be  easy,  but  is  it  not  more  likely  that  the  idea  of  stibstitution  finds  ex- 
pression in  the  myth?  —  that  idea  of  atonement  by  sacrifice,  which  is  sug- 
gested in  the  words  of  CEdipus  at  Colonus  (§  161),  "  For  one  soul  working  in 
the  strength  of  love  Is  mightier  than  ten  thousand  to  atone,"  —  the  truth  that 
was  exemplified  by  the  life  and  death  of  Christ.  Kore  (the  daughter  of 
Ceres)  :  Proserpina.     Larissa :  a  city  of  Thessaly,  on  the  river  Peneiis. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton's  sonnet  On  his  Deceased  Wife, 

"  Methought  I  saw  my  late  espoused  saint 

Brought  to  me  like  Alcestis  from  the  grave, 
Whom  Jove's  great  son  to  her  glad  husband  gave. 
Rescued  from  death  by  force,  though  pale  and  faint." 

Chaucer,  Leg.  G.  W.  208  et  seq.  ;  Court  of  Love  (  ?)  100  el  seq. 


COMMENTAR  Y.  447 

Poems.  —  Robert  Browning's  noble  poem,  Balaustion's  Adventure,  pur- 
ports to  be  a  paraphrase  of  the  Alcestis  of  Euripides,  but  while  it  maintains 
the  classical  spirit,  it  is  in  execution  one  of  the  sweetest  original  poems  of  mod- 
ern times.  The  Love  of  Alcestis  by  William  Morris;  Mrs.  Hemans,  The  Alces- 
tis of  Alfieri  and  The  Death  Song  of  Alcestis;  W.  S,  Landor,  Hercules,  Pluto, 
Alcestis,  and  Admetus;   F.  T.  Palgrave,  Alcestis;  W.  M.  W.  Call,  Alcestis. 

§  82.  Textual. — This  Laomedon  was  descended  through  Dardanus  (the 
forefather  of  the  Trojan  race)  from  Jupiter  and  the  Pleiad  Electra.  For 
further  information  about  him,  see  §§  132  (5)  C,  108,  142. 

Interpretative.  —  Apollo  evidently  fulfils,  under  Laomedon,  his  function 
as  god  of  colonization. 

§83.  TextuaL  — For  Pan,  see  §§  47  (i),  116.  For  Tmolus,  §  75. 
Peneiis :  a  river  in  Thessaly,  which  rises  in  Mount  Pindus,  and  flows  through 
the  wooded  valley  of  Tempe.  Daedal :  variously  adorned,  variegated.  Midas 
was  king  of  Phrygia,  see  §  104. 

Illustrative.  —  The  story  of  King  Midas  has  been  told  by  others  with 
some  variations.  Dryden,  in  the  Wife  of  Bath's  Tale,  makes  Midas'  queen 
the  betrayer  of  the  secret. 

"This  Midas  knew,  and  durst  communicate 
To  none  but  to  his  wife  his  ears  of  state." 

§  83  rt.  Marsyas  also  was  unfortunate  enough  to  underrate  Apollo's  musi- 
cal ability.  It  seems  that  the  flute,  an  invention  of  Minerva's,  had  been  thrown 
away  by  that  goddess  because  Cupid  laughed  at  the  grimaces  which  she  made 
while  playing  it.  Marsyas  found  the  instrument,  blew  upon  it,  and  elicited  such 
ravishing  sounds  that  he  was  tempted  to  challenge  Apollo  himself  to  a  musical 
contest.  The  god,  of  course,  triumphed,  and  punished  Marsyas  by  flaying  him 
alive. 

Illustrative.  —  M.  Arnold,  Empedocles  (Song  of  Callicles) ;  L.  Morris, 
Marsyas,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;   Edith  M.  Thomas,  Marsyas. 

In  Art.  —  Raphael's  drawing,  Apollo  and  Marsyas  (Museum,  Venice); 
the  Grseco-Roman  sculpture,  Marsyas  (Louvre);  Marsyas  (or  Dancing  Faun), 
in  the  Lateran,  Rome. 

§  85.    Textual.  —  Daphne  was  a  sister  of  Cyrene,  another  sweetheart  of 
Apollo's  (§  130).     Delphi,  in  Phocis,  and  Tenedos,  an  island  off  the  coast  of 
Asia  Minor,  near  Troy,  were  celebrated  for  their  temples  of  Apollo.     The  latter  1 
temple  was  sacred  to  ApoUo  Smintheus,  the  Mouse-Apollo,  probably  because  I 
he  had  rid  that  country  of  mice  as  St.  Patrick  rid  Ireland  of  snakes  and  toads. 
Dido,  queen  of  Carthage  (§  174),  whose  lover,  /F.neas,  sailed  away  from  her. 

Interpretative.  —  Max  Miiller's  explanation  is  poetic  as  well  as  philologi- 
cally  probable.      Daphne,  or  Ahan&,  means  the  Dawn.     "There  is  first  the 


448  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

appearance  of  the  dawn  in  the  eastern  sky,  then  the  rising  of  the  sun  as  if 
hurrying  after  his  bride,  then  the  gradual  fading  away  of  the  bright  dawn  at 
the  touch  of  the  fiery  rays  of  the  sun,  and  at  last  her  death  or  disappearance 
in  the  lap  of  her  mother,  the  earth."  The  word  Daphne  also  means,  in  Greek, 
a  laurel;  hence  the  legend  that  Daphne  was  changed  into  a  laurel-tree  (Sci. 
Relig.  378,  379).  Others  construe  Daphne  as  the  lightning.  It  is,  however, 
very  probable  that  the  Greeks  of  the  myth-making  age,  finding  certain  plants 
and  flowers  sacred  to  Apollo,  would  invent  stories  to  explain  why  he  preferred 
the  laurel,  the  hyacinth,  the  sunflower,  etc.  "  Such  myths  of  metamorphoses  " 
are,  as  Mr.  Lang  says,  "  an  universal  growth  of  savage  fancy,  and  spring  from 
a  want  of  a  sense  of  difference  between  men  and  things  "  (Myth,  Ritual,  etc., 
\  2:  206). 

Illustrative.  —  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream  2:2;  Taming  of  Shrew  (In- 
duction 2)  ;  Troil.  and  Cressida  i  :  I;  Milton,  Comus  59,  662;  Ode  on  Nativity 
176-180;  Vacation  33-40;  P.  L.  4 :  268-275;  T-  R-  2:  187;  Lord  de  Tabley 
(\Vm.  Lancaster),  Daphne,  "  All  day  long,  In  devious  forest,  Grove,  and  foun- 
tain side.  The  god  had  sought  his  Daphne,"  etc.;  Lyly,  King  Mydas;  Apollo's 
Song  to  Daphne;  Frederick  Tennyson,  Daphne.  Waller  applies  this  story  to 
the  case  of  one  whose  amatory  verses,  though  they  did  not  soften  the  heart  of 
his  mistress,  yet  won  for  the  poet  wide-spread  fame. 

"  Yet  what  he  sung  in  his  immortal  strain, 
Though  unsuccessful,  was  not  sung  in  vain. 
All  but  the  nymph  that  should  redress  his  wrong, 
Attend  his  passion  and  approve  his  song. 

iLike  Phoebus  thus,  acquiring  unsought  praise, 
He  caught  at  love  and  filled  his  arms  with  bays." 

In  Art.  —  Sculpture  :  Bernini's  Apollo  and  Daphne.  Painting :  G.  F. 
Watts'  Daphne. 

§86.  Illustrative.  —  flood.  Flowers,  "I  will  not  have  the  mad  Clytie, 
Whose  head  is  turned  by  the  sun,"  etc.;  W.  W.  Story,  Clytie;  Mrs.  A.  Fields, 
Clytia.  The  so-called  bust  of  Clytie  (discovered  not  long  ago)  is  possibly  a 
representation  of  Isis. 

§  88.  Textual.  —  Elis :  northwestern  part  of  the  Peloponnesus.  Al- 
pheiis :  a  river  of  Elis  flowing  to  the  Mediterranean.  The  river  Alpheiis  does 
in  fact  disappear  under  ground,  in  part  of  its  course,  finding  its  way  through 
subterranean  channels,  till  it  again  appears  on  the  surface.  It  was  said  that 
the  Sicilian  fountain  Arethusa  was  the  same  stream,  which,  after  passing  under 
the  sea,  came  up  again  in  Sicily.  Hence  the  story  ran  that  a  cup  thrown 
into  the  Alpheiis  appeared  again  in  Arethusa.  It  is,  possibly,  this  fable  of  the 
underground  course  of  Alpheiis  that  Coleridge  has  in  mind  in  his  dream  of 
Kubla  Khan :  — 


COMMENTARY.  449 

"  In  Xanadu  did  Kubla  Khan 

A  stately  pleasure-dome  decree, 
Where  Alph,  the  sacred  river,  ran 
Through  caverns  measureless  to  man, 
Down  to  a  sunless  sea." 

In  one  of  Moore's  juvenile  poems  he  alludes  to  the  practice  of  throwing 
garlands  or  other  light  objects  on  the  stream  of  Alpheus,  to  be  carried  down- 
ward by  it,  and  afterward  reproduced  at  its  emerging,  "  as  an  offering  To  lay 
at  Arethusa's  feet." 

The  Acroceraunian  Mountains  are  in  Epirus  in  the  northern  part  of  Greece. 
It  is  hardly  necessary  to  point  out  that  a  river  Arethusa  arising  there,  could  not/ 
possibly  be  approached  by  an  Alpheiis  of  the  Peloponnesus.  Such  a  criticism 
of  Shelley's  sparkling  verses,  would,  however,  be  pedantic  rather  than  just ' 
Probably  Shelley  uses  the  word  Acroceraunian  as  synonymous  with  steep,  dan- 
gerous. If  so,  he  had  the  practice  of  Ovid  behind  him  {Remedium  Amoris  739). 
Mount  Erymanthus :  between  Arcadia  and  Achaea.  The  Dorian  deep :  the 
Peloponnesus  was  inhabited  by  descendants  of  the  fabulous  Dorus.  Enna :  a 
city  in  the  centre  of  Sicily.  Ortygia :  an  island  on  which  part  of  the  city  of  |^ 
Syracuse  is  built. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  Arcades  30;  Lycidas  132;  Margaret  J.  Preston, 
The  Flight  of  Arethusa;  Keats,  Endymion  Bk.  2,  "  On  either  side  outgushed, 
with  misty  spray,  A  copious  spring."  ^u\^ 

§  89.  See  genealogical  table,  E,  (§  61  C)  for  Actaeonf.  "in  this  myth  Preller  ' 
finds  another  allegory  of  the  baleful  influence  of  the  dog-days  upon  those 
exposed  to  the  heat.  Cox's  theory  that  here  we  have  large  masses  of  cloud 
which,  having  dared  to  look  upon  the  clear  sky,  are  torn  to  pieces  and  scat- 
tered by  the  winds,  is  principally  instructive  as  illustrating  how  far  afield 
theorists  have  gone,  and  how  easy  it  is  to  invent  ingenious  explanations. 

Illustrative.  —  Shakespeare,  Merry  Wives  2:1;  3:2;  Titus  Andron.  2:3; 
Shelley,  Adonais  31,  "'Mid  others  of  less  note  came  one  frail  form,"  etc.,  a 
touching  allusion  to  himself;  A.  H.  Clougb,  ActaK>n;  L.  Morris,  Actseon  (Epic 
of  Hades). 

§  90.  Chios.  —  An  island  in  the  /Egean.  Lemnos :  another  island  in  the 
vEgean,  where  Vulcan  had  a  forge. 

Interpretative.  —  The  ancients  were  wont  to  glorify  in  fable  constellations 
of  remarkable  brilliancy  or  form.  The  heavenly  adventures  of  Orion  are  suffi- 
ciently explained  by  the  text. 

Illustrative.  —  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i,  3:  31;  Milton,  P.  L.  i  :  305,  "  Natheless 
he  so  endured,"  etc.;  Lxjngfellow's  Occultation  of  Orion;  R.  H.  Home, 
Orion;    Charles  Tennyson  Turner,  Orion  (a  sonnet). 

§  91.  Electra. — See  genealogical  table,  I,  §  132  (5)  C.  See  same  table 
for  Merope,  the  mother  of  Glaucus  and  grandmother  of  Bellerophon  (§  138). 


450  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE 

Illustrative.  —  Pleiads:  Milton,  P.  L.  7:374;  Pope,  Spring  102;  Mrs. 
Hemans  has  verses  on  the  same  subject;  Byron,  "Like  the  lost  Pleiad  seen 
no  more  below." 

In  modern  sculpture,  The  Lost  Pleiad  of  Randolph  Rogers  is  famous;  in 
painting,  the  Pleiades  of  Elihu  Vedder. 

§  92.  Mount  Latmos :  in  Caria.  Diana  is  sometimes  called  Phoebe,  the 
shining  one.  For  the  descendants  of  Endymion,  the  /Etolians,  etc.,  see  table 
I,  §  132  (5)  C. 

Interpretative.  — According  to  the  simplest  explanation  of  the  Endjrmion 
myth,  the  hero  is  the  setting  sun  on  whom  the  upward  rising  moon  delights 
to  gaze.  His  fifty  children  by  Selene  would  then  be  the  fifty  months  of  the 
Olympiad,  or  Greek  period  of  four  years.  Some,  however,  consider  him  to  be 
a  personification  of  sleep,  the  king  whose  influence  comes  over  one  in  the  cool 
caves  of  Latmos,  "the  Mount  of  Oblivion";  others,  the  growth  of  vegeta- 
tion under  the  dewy  moonlight;  still  others,  euhemeristically,  a  young  hunter, 
who  under  the  moonlight  followed  the  chase,  but  in  the  daytime  slept. 

Illustrative.  —  The  Endymion  of  Keats  contains  exquisite  poetry.  Fletcher, 
in  the  Faithful  Shepherdess,  tells,  "  How  the  pale  Phoebe,  hunting  in  a 
grove,  First  saw  the  boy  Endymion,"  etc.  Young's  Night  Thoughts,  "  So 
Cynthia,  poets  feign.  In  shadows  veiled,  .  .  .  Her  shepherd  cheered."  Spen- 
ser, Epithalamion,  "The  Latmian  Shepherd,"  etc.;  Marvel,  Songs  on  Lord 
Fauconberg  and  the  Lady  Mary  Cromwell  (chorus,  Endymion  and  Laura) ; 
O.  W.  Holmes,  Metrical  Essays, "  And,  Night's  chaste  empress,  in  her  bridal 
play.  Laughed  through  the  foliage  where  Endymion  lay." 

Poems.  —  Beside  Keats'  the  most  important  are  by  Lowell,  Longfellow, 
Clough  {Epi  Latmo  and  Selene),  T.  B.  Read,  Buchanan,  L.  Morris  (Epic  of 
Hades).  John  Lyly's  prose  drama,  Endymion,  contains  quaint  and  delicate 
songs. 

In  Art.  —  Ancient :  Diana  and  the  sleeping  Endymion,  sculpture  (Vatican). 

In  Painting.  —  Carracci,  fresco,  Diana  embracing  Endymion  (Farnese  Pal- 
ace, Rome);  Guercino's  Sleeping  Endymion;   G.  F.  Watts'  Endymion. 

§  93.  Textual.  — Paphos  and  Amathus:  towns  in  Cyprus,  of  which  the 
former  contained  a  temple  to  Venus.  Cnidos  (Cnidus  or  Gnidus)  :  a  town 
in  Caria,  where  stpod  a  famous  statue  of  Venus,  attributed  to  Praxiteles. 
Cylherea :  Venus,  an  adjective  derived  from  her  island  Cythera  in  the  ^Egean 
Sea.  Acheron,  and  Persephone  or  Proserpine:  see  §§  48,  50.  The  wind- 
flower  of  the  Greeks  was  of  bloody  hue,  like  that  of  the  pomegranate.  It  is 
said  the  wind  blows  the  blossoms  open,  and  afterwards  scatters  the  petals. 

Interpretative.  —  .\mong  the  Phoenicians  Venus  is  known  as  Astarte, 
among  the  Assyrians  as  Istar.  The  Adonis  of  this  story  is  the  Phoenician 
Adon,  or  the  Hebrew  Adonai,  "  l^^rd."     The  myth  derives  its  origin  from 


COMMENTARY.  451 

the  Babylonian  worship  of  Thammuz  or  Adon,  who  represents  the   verd- 1 
ure  of  spring,  and  whom  his  mistress,  the  goddess  of  fertility,  seeks,  after  bis  1 
death,  in  the  lower  regions.     With  their   departure   all   birth  and  fruitage  I 
cease  on  the  earth;   but  when  he  has  been  revived  by  sprinkling  of  water,  and 
restored  to  his  mistress  and  to  earth,  all  nature  again  rejoices.     The  myth  is 
akin  to  those  of  Linus,  Ilyacinthus,  and  Narcissus.     Mannhardt   (Wald-  and  1 
I'cld-kulte  274),  cited  by  Roscher,  supplies  the  following  characteristics  com-  | 
nion  to  such  religious  rites  in  various  lands:   (i)  The  spring  is  personified  as  ; 
a  beautiful  youth  who   is  represented  by  an  image  surrounded  by  quickly  / 
fading  flowers  from  the  "  garden  of  Adonis."     (2)  He  comes  in  the  early  year  : 
and  is  beloved  by  a  goddess  of  vegetation,  goddess  sometimes  of  the  moon,  I 
sometimes  of  the  star  of  Love.    (3)  In  midsummer  he  dies,  and  during  autumn 
and  winter  inhabits  the  underworld.     (4)  His  burial  is  attended  with  lamen- 
tations, his  resurrection  with  festivals.     (5)  These  events  take  place  in  mid- 
summer and  in  spring.     (6)  The  image  and  the  Adonis  plants  are  thrown 
into  water.     (7)  Sham  marriages  are  celebrated  between  pairs  of  worshippers.  ' 

Illustrative. — The  beautiful  15th  Idyl  of  Theocritus  contains  a  typical 
Psalm  of  Adonis,  sung  at  Alexandria,  for  his  resurrection.  Shakespeare's 
Venus  and  Adonis;  Taming  of  Shrew,  Induction  2;  I  Hen.  VI.  i :  6.  In  Mil- 
ton, Comus  998 :  — 

"  Beds  of  hyacinth  and  roses, 

Where  young  Adonis  oft  reposes, 

Waxing  well  of  his  deep  wound 

In  slumber  soft,  and  on  the  g;round 

Sadly  sits  th'  Assyrian  queen." 

Drummond,  The  Statue  of  Adonis;  Pope,  Summer  61 ;  Winter  24;  Miscel. 
7:  10;  Moral  Essays  3:  73;  Dunciad  5  :  202.  See  C.  S.  Calverley's  Death  of 
Adonis  (Theocritus);   L.  Morris'  Adonis  (Epic  of  Hades). 

In  Art.  —  The  Dying  Adonis,  sculpture,  M.  Angelo;  the  Adonis  of  Thor- 
waldsen  in  the  Glyptothek,  Munich. 

§  94.  Textual. — Psyche  does  not  eat  anything  in  Hades,  because,  by 
accepting  the  hospitality  of  Proserpina,  she  would  become  an  inmate  of  her 
household.  The  scene  with  the  lamp  and  knife  probably  indicates  the 
infringement  of  some  ancient  matrimonial  custom.  Erebus :  the  land  of 
darkness.  Hades.     For  Zephyr,  Acheron,  Cerberus,  Charon,  etc.,  see  Index. 

Interpretative.  —  The  fable  of  Cupid  and  Psyche  is  usually  regarded  as  1 
allegorical.   The  Greek  name  for  a  butterfly  is  Psyche,  and  the  same  word  means  | 
the  soul.    There  is  no  illustration  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul  so  striking  and 
beautiful  as  that  of  the  butterfly,  bursting  on  brilliant  wings  from  the  tomb 
in  which  it  has  lain,  after  a  dull,  grovelling,  caterpillar  existence,  to  flutter  in 
the  blaze  of  day  and  feed  on  the  most  fragrant  and  delicate  productions  of 


452  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

the  spring.  Psyche,  then,  is  the  human  soul,  which  is  purified  by  sufferings 
and  misfortunes,  and  is  thus  prepared  for  the  enjoyment  of  true  and  pure 
happiness.  It  is  probable  that  the  story  allegorizes  a  philosophical  conception 
concerning  three  stages  of  the  soul's  life :  first,  a  former  existence  of  bliss; 
second,  an  earthly  existence  of  trial;  third,  a  heavenly  future  of  fruition.  Cox, 
by  his  usual  method,  finds  here  a  myth  of  the  search  for  the  Sun  (Eros) 
by  the  Dawn  (Psyche).  Many  of  the  incidents  of  the  story  will  be  found  in 
modern  fairy  tales  and  romances,  such  as  Beauty  and  the  Beast,  Grimm's 
Twelve  Brothers;  the  Gaelic  stories:  The  Three  Daughters  of  King  O'Hara; 
Fair,  Brown,  and  Trembling;  The  Daughter  of  the  Skies;  and  the  Norse  tale 
—  East  of  the  Sun  and  West  of  the  Moon.     (See  Cox  i :  403-411.) 

Illustrative.  — Thomas  Moore,  Cupid  and  Psyche;  Mrs.  Browning,  Psyche, 
Paraphrase  on  Apuleius;  L.  Morris  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;  Frederick  Ten- 
nyson, Psyche.  Most  important  is  \V.  H.  Pater's  Marius  the  Epicurean,  which 
contains  the  story  as  given  by  Apuleius. 

In  Art.  —  Psyche  is  represented  as  a  maiden  with  the  wings  of  a  butterfly, 
in  the  different  situations  described  in  the  allegory.  The  Gneco-Roman  scidp- 
ture  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  in  the  Capitol  at  Rome,  is  of  surpassing  beauty ; 
so  also  is  Canova's  Cupid  and  Psyche. 

Among  Paintings.  —  Raphael's  frescos  in  the  Farnesina  Villa,  twelve  in 
number,  illustrating  the  story;  Francois  Gerard's  Cupid  and  Psyche;  Paul 
Thumann's  nine  illustrations  of  the  story;  R.  Beyschlag's  Psyche  with  the 
Urn,  Psyche  Grieving,  and  Psyche  and  Pan;  W.  Kray's  Psyche  and  Zephyr; 
Psyche,  by  A.  de  Curzon;  by  G.  F.  Watts;  a  series  of  three  illustrations  by 
H.  Bates.  The  Charon  and  Psyche  of  E.  Neide  is  a  sentimental,  simpering 
conception.     A.  Zick  has  also  a  Psyche. 

§  95.   According  to  another  tradition,  Atalanta's  love  was  Milanion.    The 

,   nuptial  vow  was  ratified  by  Hera   (Juno).     This,  the  Bceotian,  Atalanta  is 

'  sometimes  identified  with  the  Arcadian   Atalanta  of  the  Calydonian  Hunt. 

See  §  148  and  Table  D,  §  59  C.     It  is  better  to  discriminate  bet^veen  them. 

The  genealogy  of  this  Atalanta  will  be  seen  in  the  following  table,  and  in  §  132 

(5)C. 

Illustrative.  —  W.  Morris,  Atalanta's  Race  (Earthly  Paradise);  Moore's 
Rhymes  on  the  Road,  on  Alpine  Scenery,  —  an  allusion  to  Hippomenes. 

In  Art.  —  Painting  by  E.  J.  Poynter,  Atalanta's  Race, 
i  §96.  Textual  and  Illustrative.  —  The  story  of  Hero  and  Leander  is 
supposed  to  have  been  invented  by  Musoeus,  a  grammarian  of  Alexandria,  who 
lived  in  the  fifth  century  A.n.  This  author,  in  distinction  from  the  mythical  poet 
of  the  same  name,  is  styled  the  Pseudo-Musceus.  The  poem  has  been  translated 
by  Sir  Robert  Stapylton,  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  and  others.  The  feat  of  swimming 
the  Hellespont  was  performed  by  Lord  Byron.     The  distance  in  the  narrowest 


COMMENTAR  V. 


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454  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

part  is  not  more  than  a  mile,  but  there  is  a  constant  dangerous  current  setting 
out  from  the  Sea  of  Marmora  into  the  Archipelago.  For  an  allusion  to  the 
story  see  Bride  of  Abydos,  Canto  II.  For  Byron's  statement  concerning  the 
breadth  of  the  water  see  footnote  to  same  Canto. 

Poems. — Hero  and  Leander  by  Leigh  Hunt;  by  Tom  Hood;  by  Moore; 
sonnet  by  D.  G.  Rossetti,  Hero's  Lamp  (House  of  Life);  a  poem  not  in 
later  editions  of  Tennyson,  Hero  to  Leander,  1830. 

In  Painting.  —  G.  von  Bodenhausen;   F.  Keller. 

§  97.  Interpretative.  —  Another  illustration  of  the  vivifying  influence  of 
love.  Preller  deems  Pygmalion's  story  nearly  akin  to  the  Adonis-myth.  He 
regards  the  festival  of  Venus,  during  which  the  statue  of  Galatea  (or  passive 
love)  receives  life,  as  the  usual  Adonis-festival. 

Illustrative.  —  Thomson's  Castle  of  Indolence  2:12;  R.  Buchanan,  Pyg- 
malion the  Sculptor;  Morris,  and  Gilbert,  as  in  text;  Pygmalion,  by  T.  L.  Bed- 
does;  by  W.  C.  Bennett.  The  seventeenth  century  satirist,  Marston,  wrote  a 
Pygmalion,  of  no  great  worth.  Frederick  Tennyson,  Pygmalion  (in  the  Daphne 
and  Other  Poems);  Arthur  Henry  Hallam,  Lines  spoken  in  the  character  of 
Pygmalion;  Thomas  Woolner,  Pygmalion. 

In  Art.  —  The  Pygmalion  series  of  four  scenes,  by  E.  Bume- Jones. 

§  98.  Textual.  —  Semiramis :  wife  of  King  Ninus,  and  queen  of  Assyria. 
Famous  for  her  administrative  and  military  ability.  A  mythical  character 
with  features  of  historic  probability. 

Illustrative.  —  Chaucer,  Thisbe,  the  Martyr  of  Babylon  (Leg.  G.  W.). 
Allusions  in  Surrey's  Of  the  Death  of  Sir  Thomas  Wyatt;  Shakespeare,  M. 
N.  Dream  3:2;  5:1;  M.  of  Venice  5:1.  Moore,  in  the  Sylph's  Ball,  draws 
a  comparison  between  Thisbe's  wall  and  the  gauze  of  Davy's  safety  lamp. 
Mickle's  translation  of  the  Lusiad  (Island  of  Love). 

In  Art.  —  Bume- Jones'  three  paintings,  Cupid,  Pyramus,  and  Thisbe;  E.  J. 
Paupion's  painting,  Thisbe. 

§  99.  Textual.  — Lesbos  and  Chios :  islands  in  the  ililgean.  For  Sappho 
see  §  II  (3). 

Illustrative. — The  second  lyric  of  Sappho,  beginning  "  Like  to  the  gods 
he  seems  to  me.  The  man  that  sits,  reclined  by  thee,"  has  been  translated  by 
Phillips,  by  Fawkes,  and  by  recent  poets.  The  reference  is  probably  to  Phaon. 
Allusions  in  Pope,  Moral  Essays  3:  121;  2:  24;  Prol.  to  Satires  309,  loi; 
Byron's  Isles  of  Greece,  already  referred  to.  Compare  the  translation  in 
Catullus,  LI. 

Poems  on  .Sappho  or  on  Phaon.  Charles  Kingsley,  Sappho;  Buchanan, 
Sappho  on  the  Leucadian  Rock ;  Landor,  —  Sappho,  Alcaeus,  Anacreon,  and 
Phaon;  Frederick  Tennyson,  Klefe  or  the  Return  (in  the  Isles  of  Greece). 
See  also  Lyly's  amusing  prose  drama,  Sappho  and  Phao. 


COMMEN  TAR  Y.  455 

§  loi.  Textual. — Mount  Cyllene  :  between  Arcadia  and  Achaea.  Pierian 
Mountains :  in  Macedonia,  directly  north  of  Thessaly;  the  birthplace  of  the 
Muses.     Pylos :  an  ancient  city  of  Elis. 

Interpretative.  —  On  the  supposition  that  the  herds  of  Apollo  are  the 
bright  rays  of  the  sun,  the  simplest  physical  explanation  of  the  relations  of 
Mercury  (Hermes)  to  Apollo  is  the  following  from  Max  Miiller.  "  Hermes  is 
the  god  of  the  twilight,  who  betrays  his  equivocal  nature  by  stealing,  though 
only  in  fun,  the  herds  of  Apollo,  but  restoring  them  without  the  violent  com- 
bat that  (in  the  analogous  Indian  story)  is  waged  for  the  herds  between  Indra, 
the  bright  god,  and  Vala,  the  robber.  In  India  the  dawn  brings  the  light;  in 
Greece  the  twilight  itself  is  supposed  to  have  stolen  it,  or  to  hold  back  the 
light,  and  Hermes,  the  twilight,  surrenders  the  booty  when  challenged  by  the 
sun-god  Apollo"  (Lect.  on  Lang.,  2  Ser.,  521-2).  Hermes  is  connected  by 
Professor  Miiller  with  the  Vedic  god  Sarameya,  son  of  the  twilight.  Mercury, 
or  Hermes,  as  morning  or  as  evening  twilight,  loves  the  Dew,  is  herald  of  the 
gods,  is  spy  of  the  night,  is  sender  of  sleep  and  dreams,  is  accompanied  by 
the  cock,  herald  of  dawn,  is  the  guide  of  the  departed  on  their  last  journey. 
To  the  conception  of  twilight.  Cox  adds  that  of  motion,  and  explains  Hermes 
as  the  air  in  motion  that  springs  up  with  the  dawn,  gains  rapidly  in  force, 
sweeps  before  it  the  clouds  (here  the  cattle  of  Apollo),  makes  soft  music 
through  the  trees  (lyre),  etc.  Other  theorists  make  Hermes  the  Divine 
Activity,  the  god  of  the  ether,  of  clouds,  of  storm,  etc.;  but  the  explana- 
tions of  Professor  MuUer  and  the  Rev.  Sir  G.  W.  Cox  are  more  satisfactory 
than  the  rest. 

Illustrative.  —  See  Shelley's  Homeric  Hymn  to  Mercury,  on  which  the 
text  of  §  loi  is  based,  and  passages  in  Prometheus  Bound;  Keats' Ode  to 
Mai  a. 

§§  102,  103.  Textual.  —  See  genealogical  table  E,  §  61  C,  for  Bacchus, 
Pentheus,  etc.  Nysa  "  has  been  identified  as  a  mountain  in  Thrace,  in  Boeotia, 
in  Arabia,  India,  Libya;  and  Naxos,  as  a  town  in  Caria  or  the  Caucasus,  and 
as  an  island  in  the  Nile."  Thebes :  the  capital  of  Boeotia.  Mseonia :  Lydia, 
in  Asia  Minor.  Dia:  Naxos,  the  largest  of  the  Cyclades  Islands  in  the 
.Lgean.  Mount  Cithaeron :  in  Boeotia.  The  Thyrsus  was  a  wand,  wreathed 
with  ivy  and  surmounted  by  a  pine  cone,  carried  by  Bacchus  and  his  votaries. 
Maenads  and  Bacchantes  were  female  followers  of  Bacchus.  Bacchanal  is 
a  general  term  for  his  devotees. 

Interpretative.  —  "  Bacchus  (Dionysus)  is  regarded  by  many  as  the  spirit- 
ual form  of  the  new  vernal  life,  the  sap  and  pulse  of  vegetation  and  of  the 
new-born  year,  especially  as  manifest  in  the  vine  and  juice  of  the  grape."  — 
I^N(^,  Afyth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2:  221  (from  Preller  i :  544).  The  Hyades  (rain- 
stars),  that  nurtured  the  deity,  perhaps  symbolize  the  rains  that  nourish  sprout- 


456  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

ing  vegetation.  He  became  identified  very  soon  with  the  spirituous  effects  of 
the  vine.  His  sufferings  may  typify  the  "  ruin  of  the  summer  year  at  the  bands 
of  storm  and  winter,"  or  perhaps,  the  agony  of  the  bleeding  grapes  in  the 
wine-press.  The  orgies  of  Dionysus  are  probably  a  survival  of  the  un- 
govemed  actions  of  savages  when  celebrating  a  festival  in  honor  of  the  deity 
of  plenty,  of  harvest-home,  and  of  intoxication.  But  in  cultivated  Greece, 
Dionysus,  in  spite  of  the  surviving  orgiastic  ceremonies,  is  a  poetic  incai- 
nation  of  blithe,  changeable,  spirited  youth.  (See  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2 : 
221-241.)  That  Rhea  taught  him  would  account  for  the  Oriental  nature  of 
his  rites;  for  Rhea  is  an  Eastern  deity  by  origin.  The  opposition  of  Pentheus 
and  others  would  indicate  the  reluctance  with  which  the  Greeks  adopted  his 
somewhat  doubtful  doctrine  and  his  evidently  undignified  ceremonial.  Ac- 
cording to  O.  Muller,  the  Dionysiac  worship  came  from  Thrace,  a  proverbially 
barbarous  clime; — but  wandering,  like  the  spring-tide,  over  the  face  of  the 
earth,  Bacchus  conquered  each  nation  in  turn. 

The  influence  of  intoxication  is  symbolized  by  the  transformation  of  the 
sailors  into  strange  animals. 

Of  the  Festivals  of  Dionysus,  the  more  important  in  Attica  were  the 
Lesser  Dionysia,  in  December;  the  Lenrea,  in  January;  the  Anthesteria,  or 
spring-festival,  in  February;  and  the  Great  Dionysia,  in  March.  These  all,  in 
greater  or  less  degree,  witnessed  of  the  culture  and  the  glories  of  the  vine. 
They  were  celebrated,  as  the  case  might  be,  with  processions  of  women,  pro- 
fusion of  flowers,  orgiastic  songs  and  dances,  or  dramatic  representations. 

Illustrative.  —  Bacchus:  Milton,  Comus  46.  Pentheus:  Landor,  The 
l,ast  Fruit  of  an  Old  Tree;  H.  H.  Milman,  The  Bacchanals  of  Euripides; 
Calverley's  and  Lang's  translations  of  Theocritus,  Idyl  26;  Thomas  Love 
Peacock,  Rhododaphne :  The  Vengeance  of  Bacchus;  B,  W.  Procter,  Baccha- 
nalian Song.     Nazos :   P.  L.  4  :  275 

§  104.  Textual.  —  Hesperides,  see  Index.  River  Pactolus:  in  Lydia. 
Midas :  the  son  of  one  Gordius,  who  from  a  farmer  had  become  king  of  Phrygia, 
because  he  happened  to  fulfil  a  prophecy  by  entering  the  public  square  of 
some  city  just  as  the  people  were  casting  about  for  a  king.  He  tied  his  wagon 
in  the  temple  of  the  prophetic  deity  with  the  celebrated  Gordian  Knot,  which 
none  but  the  future  lord  of  Asia  might  undo.  Alexander  the  Great  undid  the 
knot  with  his  sword. 

Interpretative.  —  An  ingenious,  but  not  highly  probable,  theory  explains 
the  golden  touch  of  Midas  as  the  rising  sun  that  gilds  all  things,  and  his 
bathing  in  Pactolus  as  the  quenching  of  the  sun's  splendor  in  the  western 
ocean.  Midas  is  fabled  to  have  been  the  son  of  the  "  great  mother  "  Cybele, 
whose  worship  in  Phrygia  was  closely  related  to  that  of  Bacchus  or  Dionysus. 
The  Sileni  were  there  regarded  as  tutelary  genii  of  the  rivers  and  springs. 


COM  MEN  TA  R  V.  457 

promoting  fertility  of  the  soil.  Marsyas,  an  inspired  musician  in  the  service 
of  Cybcle,  was  naturally  associated  in  fable  with  Midas.  The  ass  being  the 
favorite  animal  of  Silenus,  the  ass's  ears  of  Midas  merely  symbolize  his  fond- 
ness for  and  devotion  to  such  habits  as  were  attributed  to  the  Sileni.  The  i 
ass,  by  the  way,  was  reverenced  in  Phrygia;  the  acquisition  of  ass's  ears  may, 
therefore,  have  been  originally  a  glory,  not  a  disgrace. 

Illustrative. — John  Lyly,  Play  of  Mydas,  especially  the  song,  "Sing 
to  .Apollo,  gotl  of  day  " ;  Shakespeare,  M.  of  Venice  3 : 2  (casket  scene) ; 
Pope,  Dunciad  3:  324;  Prol.  to  Satires  82;  Swift,  The  Fable  of  Midas;  J.  G. 
Saxe,  The  Choice  of  King  Midas  (a  travesty).  Gordian  Knot:  Hen.  V. 
l:i;  Cymbel.  2:2;  Milton,  P.  L.  4:  348;  Vacation  90.  Pactolus:  Pope, 
Spring  61 ;  allusions  also  to  the  sisters  of  Phaeton.     Silenus,  by  W.  S.  Landor. 

§§  105,  106.  Textual.  —  Mount  Eryx,  the  vale  of  Enna,  and  Cyane  are 
in  Sicily.     Eleusis  :  in  Attica.     For  Arethusa,  see  Index. 

Interpretative.  —  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  story  of  Ceres  and 
Proserpine  is  an  allegory.  Proserpine  signifies  the  seed-corn  which,  when 
cast  into  the  ground,  lies  there  concealed,  —  is  carried  off  by  the  god  of  the 
underworld ;  when  the  corn  reappears,  Proserpine  is  restored  to  her  mother. 
Spring  Icails  her  back  to  the  light  of  day.  The  following,  from  Aubrey 
dc  Verc's  Introduction  to  his  Search  for  Proserpine,  is  suggestive:  "Of  all 
the  beautiful  fictions  of  Greek  Mythology,  there  are  few  more  exquisite  than 
the  story  of  Proserpine,  and  none  deeper  in  symbolical  meaning.  Consider- 
ing the  fable  with  reference  to  the  physical  world,  r>acon  says,  in  his  Wisdom 
of  the  .\ncients,  that  by  the  Rape  of  Proserpine  is  signified  the  disappearance 
of  flowers  at  the  end  of  the  year,  when  the  vital  juices  are,  as  it  were,  drawn 
down  to  the  central  darkness,  and  held  there  in  bondage.  Following  up  thi« 
view  of  the  subject,  the  Search  of  her  Mother,  sad  and  unavailing  as  it  was, 
would  seem  no  unfit  emblem  of  Autumn  and  the  restless  melancholy  of  the 
season;  while  the  hope  with  which  the  Goddess  was  finally  cheered  may 
perhaps  remind  us  of  that  unexpected  return  of  fine  weather  which  occurs  so 
frequently,  like  an  omen  of  Spring,  just  before  Winter  closes  in.  The  fable 
has,  however,  its  moral  significance  also,  being  connected  with  that  great 
mystery  of  Joy  and  Grief,  of  Life  and  Death,  which  pressed  so  heavily  on  the 
mind  of  Pagan  Greece,  and  imparts  to  the  whole  of  her  mythology  a  profound 
interest,  spiritual  as  well  as  philosophical.  It  was  the  restoration  of  Man,  not 
of  flowers,  the  victory  over  Death,  not  over  Winter,  with  which  that  high 
Intelligence  felt  itself  to  be  really  concerned."  Festivals:  two  kinds  of 
festivals,  the  Eleusinia  and  the  Thesmophoria,  were  held  in  honor  of  Ceres 
and  Proserpine.  The  former  was  divided  into  the  lesser,  celebrated  in  Feb- 
ruary, and  the  greater  (lasting  nine  days),  in  September.  Distinction  must 
be  made  between  the  Festivals  and  the  Mysteries  of  Eleusis.     In  the  festivals 


458  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

all  classes  might  participate.  Those  of  the  Spring  represented  the  resto- 
ration of  Proserpine  to  her  mother;  those  of  the  Autumn  the  rape  of  Proser- 
pine. An  image  of  the  youthful  Bacchus  headed  the  procession  in  its  march 
toward  Eleusis.  At  that  place  and  in  the  neighborhood  were  enacted  in  realistic 
fashion  the  wanderings  and  the  sufferings  of  Ceres,  the  scenes  in  the  house  of 
Celeus,  and  finally  the  successful  conclusion  of  the  search  for  Proserpine.  The 
Mysteries  of  Eleusis  were  witnessed  only  by  the  initiated,  and  were  invested 
with  a  veil  of  secrecy  which  has  never  been  fully  withdrawn.  The  initiates 
passed  through  certain  symbolic  ceremonies  from  one  degree  of  mystic 
enlightenment  to  another  till  the  highest  was  attained.  The  Lesser  Mysteries 
were  an  introduction  to  the  Greater;  and  it  is  known  that  the  rites  involved 
partook  of  the  nature  of  purification  from  passion,  crime,  and  the  various 
degradations  of  human  existence.  By  pious  contemplation  of  the  dramatic 
scenes  presenting  the  sorrows  of  Ceres,  and  by  participation  in  sacramental 
rites,  it  is  probable  that  the  initiated  were  instructed  in  the  nature  of  life  and 
\  death,  and  consoled  with  the  hope  of  immortality  (Preller).  (On  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Eleusinian  Mysteries  from  the  savage  to  the  civilized  ceremonial, 
see  Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2:  275,  and  Lobeck's  Aglaophatnus  133.) 
/  The  Thesmophoria  were  celebrated  by  married  women,  in  honor  of 
'    Ceres  (Demeter),  and  referred  to  institutions  of  married  life. 

That  Proserpine  should  be  under  bonds  to  the  underworld  because  she  had 

I  partaken  of  food  in  Hades  accords  with  a  superstition  not  peculiar  to  the 
Greeks,  but  to  be  "  found  in  New  Zealand,  Melanesia,  Scotland,  Finland,  and 
among  the  Ojibbeways  "  (Lang,  Myth,  Ritual,  etc.,  2  :  273). 

Illustrative.  —  Aubrey  de  Vere,  as  above;  B.  W.  Procter,  The  Rape  of 
Proserpine;  R.  H.  Stoddard,  The  Search  for  Persephone;  G.  Meredith,  The 
Appeasement  of  Demeter;  Tennyson,  Demeter  and  Persephone;  Dora  Green- 
well,  Demeter  and  Cora;  T.  L.  Beddoes,  Song  of  the  Stygian  Naiades;  A.  C. 
Swinburne,  Song  to  Proserpine.  See  also  notes  under  Persephone,  §  50, 
Demeter  and  Pluto.  Eleusis :  Schiller's  Festival  of,  transl.  by  N.  L.  Froth- 
ingham;  At  Eleusis,  by  Swinburne.  See,  for  poetical  reference,  Milton,  P.  L. 
j^^g',-^^:  269,  "  Not  that  fair  field  Of  Enna,"  etc.;   Hood,  Ode  to  Melancholy:  — 

I  "  Forgive  if  somewhile  1  forget, 

In  woe  to  come  the  present  bliss ; 
As  frighted  Proserpine  let  fall 
Her  flowers  at  the  sight  of  Dis." 

In  Art.  —  Bernini's  Pluto  and  Proserpine  (sculpture) ;  P.  Schobelt's  Rape 
of  Proserpine  (picture). 

§  107.  Textual.  —  Taenarus:  in  Laconia.  For  the  crime  of  Tantalus, 
see  §  77.     In  Hades  he  stood  up  to  his  neck  in  water  which  receded  when  he 


COMMENTAR  Y.  459 

would  drink;  grapes  hanging  above  his  head  withdrew  when  he  would  pluck 
them;  while  a  great  rock  was  forever  just  about  to  fall  upon  him.  Ixion,  for 
an  insult  to  Juno,  was  lashed  with  serpents  or  brazen  bands  to  an  ever-revolv- 
ing wheel.  Sisyphus,  for  his  treachery  to  the  gods,  vainly  rolled  a  stone 
toward  the  top  of  a  hill.  (See  §  175.)  For  the  Danaids,  see  §  133.  Cerbe- 
rus, §§  48,  175.  The  Dynast's  bond:  the  contract  with  Pluto,  who  was 
Dynast  or  tyrant  of  Hades.  Ferry-guard :  Charon.  Strymon  and  Hebrus : 
rivers  of  Thrace.  Libethra :  a  city  on  the  side  of  Mount  Olympus,  between 
Thessaly  and  Macedonia. 

Interpretative.  —  The  loss  of  Eurydice  may  signify  (like  the  death  of 
Adonis  and  the  rape  of  Proserpine)  the  departure  of  spring.  Max  Miiller, 
however,  identifies  Orpheus  with  the  Sanskrit  Arhhtt,  used  as  a  name  for  the 
Sun  (Chips  2:  127).  According  to  this  explanation  the  Sun  follows  Eurydice, 
"  the  wide-spreading  flush  of  the  dawn  who  has  been  stung  by  the  serpent  of 
night,"  into  the  regions  of  darkness.  There  he  recovers  Eurydice,  but  while  he 
looks  back  upon  her  she  fades  before  his  gaze,  as  the  mists  of  morning  vanish 
before  the  glory  of  the  rising  sun  (Cox).  It  might  be  more  consistent  to  con- 
strue Eurydice  as  the  twilight,  first,  of  evening  which  is  slain  by  night,  then,  of 
morning  which  is  dissipated  by  sunrise.  Cox  finds  in  the  music  of  Orpheus 
the  delicious  strains  of  the  breezes  which  accompany  sunrise  and  sunset.  The 
story  should  be  compared  with  that  of  Apollo  and  Daphne,  and  of  Mercury 
and  Af)ollo.  The  Irish  tale,  The  Three  Daughters  of  King  O'Hara,  reverses 
the  relation  of  Orpheu?  and  Eurydice.  (See  Curtin's  Myths  and  Folk-lore  of 
Ireland,  Boston :   1890.) 

Illustrative.  —  Orpheus:  Shakespeare,  Two  Gen.  of  Verona  3:2;  M.  of 
Venice  5:1;  Hen.  VIII.  3:1  (song);  Milton,  Lycidas  58;  L'All.  145;  II 
Pens.  105;  Pope,  Ode  on  St.  Cecilia's  Day  (Eurydice)  ;  Summer  81 ;  Southey's 
Thalaha  (The  Nightingale's  song  over  the  grave  of  Orpheus). 

Poems.  — Wordsworth, The  Power  of  Music;  Shelley,  Orpheus,  a  fragment; 
Browning,  Eurydice  and  Orpheus;  \Vm.  Morris,  Orpheus  and  the  Sirens  (Life 
and  Death  of  Jason) ;  L.  Morris,  Orpheus,  Eurydice  (Epic  of  Hades) ;  Lowell, 
Eurydice;  E.  Dowden,  Eurydice;  W.  B.  Scott,  Eurydice;  E.  W.  Gosse,  The 
Waking  of  Eurvdice;  R.  liuchanan,  Orpheus,  the  Musician;  J.  G.  Saxe, 
Travesty  of  Orpheus  and  Eurj'dice.  On  Tantalus  and  Sisyphus,  see  Spen- 
ser, F.  Q.  I,  5:  31-35;   L.  Morris,  Epic  of  Hades. 

In  Art.  — A  Relief  in  the  National  Museum,  Naples,  of  Mercury,  Orpheus, 
and  Eurydice.  Paintings:  by  Sir  Frederick  Leighton;  by  Robert  Bey- 
schlag;  by  G.  F.  Watts;  The  Story  of  Orpheus,  a  series  of  ten  paintings, 
by  E.  Burne- Jones. 

§  108.  Interpretative.  —  The  monsters  that  wreak  the  vengeance  of 
Neptune  are,  of  course,  his  destructive  storms  and  lashing  waves. 


460  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 

§  109.  Textual.  —  Troy:  the  capital  of  Troas  in  Asia  Minor,  situated 
between  the  rivers  Scamander  and  Simois.  Famous  for  the  siege  conducted 
by  the  Greeks  under  Agamemnon,  Menelaus,  etc.  (See  Chap.  XXV.)  Amy- 
mone  :  a  fountain  of  Argolis.     Enipeus :  a  river  of  Macedonia. 

§  no.  P'or  genealogy  of  Pelops,  etc.,  see  §§  77  C  and  165  (2)  C.  For  the 
misfortunes  of  the  Pelopidae,  see  §§  165  b,  170. 

In  Art.  —  Pelops  and  Hippodamia;  vase  pictures  (Monuments  inedits, 
Rome  and  Paris). 

§  112.  Textual.  —  Cephalus,  the  son  of  Mercury  (Hermes)  and  Herse, 
is  irretrievably  confounded  with  Cephalus,  the  son  of  Deion  and  grandson  of 
^olus.  The  former  should,  strictly,  be  regarded  as  the  lover  of  Aurora  (Eos); 
the  latter  is  the  husband  of  Procris,  and  the  great-grandfather  of  Ulysses.  See 
Geneal.  Table  I.,  §  132  (5)  C,  and  §  165  (4)  C. 

Interpretative. — Procris  is  the  dew-drop  (from  Greek  Prox,  dew)  which 
reflects  the  shining  rays  of  the  sun.  The  "  head  of  the  day,"  or  the  rising  sun, 
Cephalus,  is  also  wooed  by  Aurora,  the  Dawn,  but  flies  from  her.  The  Sun 
slays  the  dew  with  the  same  gleaming  darts  that  the  dew  reflects,  or  gives  back 
to  him.  According  to  Preller,  Cephalus  is  the  morning-star  beloved  alike  by 
Procris,  the  moon,  and  by  Aurora,  the  dawn.  The  concealment  of  Procris  in 
the  forest  and  her  death  would,  then,  signify  the  paling  of  the  moon  before 
the  approaching  day.     Hardly  so  probable  as  the  former  explanation. 

Illustrative.  —  Aurora:  Spenser,  F.  Q.  i,  2:7;  i,  4:16;  Shakespeare, 
M.  N.  Dream  3 :  2;  Rom.  and  Jul.  I  :  i;  Milton,  P.  L.  5  :  6,  "Now  Morn,  her 
rosy  steps  in  the  eastern  clime  Advancing,"  etc.;  L'All.  19;  Landor,  Gebir, 
"  Now  to  Aurora  borne  by  dappled  steeds.  The  sacred  gates  of  orient  pearl 
and  gold  .  .  .  Expanded  slow,"  etc.  Cephalus  and  Procris:  in  Moore's 
Legendary  Ballads;  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream,  "  Shafalus  and  Procrus";  E. 
Gosse,  The  Death  of  Procris. 

In  Art.  —  Aurora :  paintings,  by  Guido  Reni,  J.  L.  Hamon,  Guercino. 
Procris  and  Cephalus,  by  Turner.  L'Aurore  et  Cephale,  painted  by  P. 
Guerin  1810,  engraved  by  F.  Forster  1821.  „ 

§  113.  Textual.  —  Cimmerian  country :  a  fabulous  land  in  the  far  west, 
near  Hades;  or,  perhaps,  in  the  north,  for  the  people  dwell  by  the  ocean  that  is 
never  visited  by  sunlight  (Od.  11 :  14-19).  Other  sons  of  Somnus  are  Icelus, 
who  personates  birds,  beasts,  and  serpents,  and  Phantasus,  who  assumes  the 
forms  of  rocks,  streams,  and  other  inanimate  things. 

The  following  table  will  indicate  the  connections  and  descendants  of 
Aurora. 

Interpretative. — According  to  one  account,  Ceyx  and  Halcyone,  by 
likening  their  wedded  happiness  to  that  of  Jupiter  and  Juno,  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  the  gods.     The  myth  springs  from  observation  of  the  habits  of 


COMMENTARY. 


461 


the  Halcyon-bird,  which  nests  on  the  strand 
and  is  frequently  bereft  of  its  young  by  the 
winter  waves.  The  comparison  with  the  glory 
of  Jupiter  and  Juno  is  suggested  by  the  splen- 
did iris  hues  of  the  birds.  Halcyon  days  have 
become  proverbial  as  seasons  of  calm.  .£olus 
son  of  Hellen  is  here  identified  with  iEolus,  the 
king  of  winds.  According  to  Diodorus,  the 
latter  is  a  descendant,  in  the  fifth  generation, 
of  the  former,  and  should  be  known  as  ^^iolus 
HI.     (See  Genealogical  Table  I.  §  132  (5)  C.) 

Illustrative.  —  Chaucer,  The  Deth  of 
Blaunche;  E.  \V.  Gosse,  Alcyone  (a  sonnet 
in  dialogue)  ;  F.  Tennyson,  Halcyone ;  Edith 
M.  Thomas,  The  Kingfisher;  Margaret  J.  Pres- 
ton, Alcyone.  Morpheus,  see  Milton,  II 
Pens.;   Pope,  Ode  on  St.  Cecilia's  Day. 

§  114.  Interpretative.  —  Tithonus  may 
be  the  day  in  its  ever-recurring  circuit  of  morn- 
ing freshness,  noon  heat,  final  withering  and 
decay  (Preller) ;  or  the  gray  glimmer  of  the 
heavens  overspread  by  the  first  ruddy  flush  of 
morning  (Welcker);  or,  as  a  solar -myth,  the 
sun  in  his  setting  and  waning,  —  Tithontis 
meaning,  by  derivation,  the  illuminator  (Max 
Muller).  The  sleep  of  Tithonus  in  his  ocean- 
bed,  and  his  transformation  into  a  grasshopper, 
would  then  typify  the  presumable  weariness 
and  weakness  of  the  sun  at  night. 

Illustrative.  —  Spenser,  Epithalamion;  F. 
Q.  I,  11:51. 

§  115.  Textual.  —  Mysia  :  province  of 
Asia  Minor,  south  of  the  Propontis,  or  Sea  of 
Marmora.  There  is  some  doubt  about  the 
identification  of  the  existing  statue  with  that 
described  by  the  ancients,  and  the  mysterious 
sounds  are  still  more  doubtful.  Yet  there  is 
not  wanting  modern  testimony  to  their  being 
still  audible.  It  has  been  suggested  that 
sounds  produced  by  confined  air  making  its 
escape  from  crevices  or  caverns  in  the  rocks 


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5 

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> 

COI 

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II         5  o 


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462  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

may  have  given  some  ground  for  the  story.  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson,  a  traveller 
of  the  highest  authority,  examined  the  statue  itself,  and  discovered  that  it 
was  hollow,  and  that  "  in  the  lap  of  the  statue  is  a  stone,  which,  on  being 
struck,  emits  a  metallic  sound  that  might  still  be  made  use  of  to  deceive  a 
visitor  who  was  predisposed  to  believe  its  powers." 

Interpretative.  —  Memnon  is  generally  represented  as  of  dark  features, 
lighted  with  the  animation  of  glorious  youth.  He  is  king  of  the  mythical  .^Ethi- 
opians  who  lived  in  the  land  of  gloaming,  where  east  and  west  met,  and  whose 
name  signifies  "  dark  splendor."  His  birth  in  this  borderland  of  light  and 
darkness  signifies  either  his  existence  as  king  of  an  eastern  land  or  his  iden- 
tity with  the  young  sun,  and  strengthens  the  theory  according  to  which  his 
father  Tithonus  is  the  gray  glimmer  of  the  morning  heavens.  The  flocks 
of  birds  have  been  explained  as  the  glowing  clouds  that  meet  in  battle  over 
the  body  of  the  dead  sun. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton,  II  Pens. ;  Drummond,  Summons  to  Love,  "  Rouse 
Memnon's  mother  from  her  Tithon's  bed  ";  Akenside,  Pleasures  of  the  Imagi- 
nation (analogy  between  Memnonian  music  and  spiritual  appreciation  of 
truth) ;  Landor,  Miscellaneous  Poems  59,  "  Exposed  and  lonely  genius  stands. 
Like  Memnon  in  the  Egyptian  sands,"  etc. 

§  116.  Textual.  — Doric  pillar:  the  three  styles  of  pillars  in  Greek  archi- 
tecture were  Dorian,  Ionic,  Corinthian  (see  English  Dictionary).  Trinacria  : 
Sicily,  from  its  three  promontories.  SL%fi\i.  and  Daphnis :  idyllic  names  of 
Sicilian  shepherds.  Nai's :  a  water-nymph.  For  Cyclops,  Galatea,  Silenus, 
Fauns,  Arethusa,  see  Index.  Compare,  with  the  conception  of  Stedman's 
poem,  Wordsworth's  Power  of  Music. 

Illustrative.  —  Ben  Jonson,  Pan's  Anniversary;  Milton,  P.  L.  4:266, 
707;  P.  R.  2:  190;  Comus  176,  268;  Pope,  Autumn  81;  Windsor  Forest  37, 
183;  Summer  50;  Dunciad  3:110;  Akenside,  Pleasures  of  Imagination, 
"FairTempe!  haunt  beloved  of  sylvan  Powers,"  etc.;  On  Leaving  Holland 
I  :  2.  Poems  :  Fletcher,  Song  of  the  Priest  of  Pan,  and  Song  of  Pan 
(in  The  Faithful  Shepherdess) ;  Landor,  Pan  and  Pitys,  "  Pan  led  me  to 
a  wood  the  other  day,"  etc.;  Landor,  Cupid  and  Pan;  R.  Buchanan,  Pan; 
Browning,  Pan  and  Luna;  Swinburne,  Pan  andThalassius;  Hon.  Roden  Noel, 
Pan,  in  the  Modern  Faust.  Of  course  Mrs.  Browning's  Dead  Pan  cannot  be 
appreciated  unless  read  as  a  whole. 

§117.  Fauns.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  4:  708;  10:573,597;  11:472,788;  P.  R. 
2:257;  Mrs.  Browning,  Flush  or  Faunus  (sonnet).  Dryads:  Pope,  Moral 
Essays  4:  94;  Winter  12;  Collins,  The  Passions;  Keats,  Nightingale,  Psyche. 
Satyrs:  Milton,  Lycidas;  Dryden,  Mrs.  Anne  Killigrew  6;  Hawthorne's 
Marble  Faun. 

In    Art.  —  Fauns    (sculpture):    The    Barberini    Faun    (Munich);    The 


COMMENTARY.  '  463 

Drunken  Faun,  Sleeping  Faun,  Faun  and  Bacchus,  and  Dancing  Faun 
(National  Museum,  Naples)  ;  The  Dancing  Faun  (Lateran,  Rome)  ;  The  Faun 
of  Praxiteles  (Capitol,  Rome).  Pan  and  Apollo:  Groeco-Roman  sculpture 
(Museum,  Naples);  Silenus  and  Bacchus  (Glyptothek,  Munich).  Nymphs 
(picture) :  Bouguereau,  Nymphs  and  Satyr,  and  Nymphs;  Burne-Jones, 
Nymphs;  Giorgione,  Nymphs  pursued  by  a  Satyr.  Satyrs:  M.  Angelo 
(picture)  (Nat.  Mus.  Florence),  Mask  of  a  Satyr;  Rubens,  Satyrs  (Munich); 
Satyrs  (sculpture),  relief  from  theatre  of  Dionysus;  Satyr  playing  a  flute 
(Vatican). 

§  ii8.  Textual.  —  Cephissus:  four  rivers  in  Phocis,  Attica,  and  Argolis 
bear  this  name.     The  most  famous  runs  near  Athens. 

Illustrative. — Echo:  Chaucer,  Romaunt  of  Rose  1468  et  seq. ;  Spenser, 
Prothalamion ;  Milton, Comus  237;  Collins,  The  Passions.  Poems:  L.  Morris 
(Epic  of  Mades),  Narcissus;  Goldsmith,  On  a  Beautiful  Youth,  etc.;  Cowper, 
On  an  Ugly  Fellow;  Milton,  P.  L.  4 :  449-470  (illustr.)  ;  and  Comus.  In  Art : 
Narcissus  (sculpture)  (Museum,  Naples). 

§  120.    For  references  on  the  Naiads,  see  §§  52-54  C. 

§  122.   Dryope  (poem),  by  W.  S.  Landor. 

§  123.  Rhoecus.  —  Poems  by  Landor,  The  Hamadryad ;  Aeon  and 
Rhodope. 

§  124.  Pomona.  —  Phillips,  a  poem  on  Cider.  See  Index.  In  Art:  the 
painting  by  J.  E.  Millais. 

Interpretative.  —  The  various  guises  and  transformations  of  Vertumnus 
signify  the  succession  of  the  seasons  and  the  changing  characteristics  of  each. 
The  name  itself  implies  turning,  or  change. 

§  125.  Textual.  —  In  order  to  understand  the  story  of  Ibycus,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  remember,  first,  that  the  theatres  of  the  ancients  were  immense  fabrics, 
capable  of  containing  from  ten  to  thirty  thousand  spectators,  and  as  they  were 
used  only  on  festal  occasions,  and  admission  was  free  to  all,  they  were 
usually  filled.  They  were  without  roofs  and  open  to  the  sky,  and  the  perform- 
ances were  in  the  daytime.  Secondly,  that  the  appalling  representation  of 
the  Furies  is  not  exaggerated  in  the  story.  It  is  recorded  that  /Eschylus,  the 
tragic  poet,  having  on  one  occasion  represented  the  Furies  in  a  chorus  of  fifty 
performers,  the  terror  of  the  spectators  was  such  that  many  fainted  and  were 
thrown  into  convulsions,  and  the  magistrates  forbade  a  like  representation  for 
the  future. 

Illustrative.  —  §  51  C  on  Furies.  On  Ibycus  see  translation  of  Schiller's 
Cranes  of  Ibycus,  by  E.  A.  Bowring. 

§  126.  Textual. — The  adventures  of  the  water-divinities  turn  largely  on 
the  idea  of  metamorphosis,  which  would  readily  be  suggested  to  the  imagina- 
tive mind  by  contemplation  of  the  ever  changing  aspect  of  fountain,  stream, 
lake,  or  ocean.     For  genealogies  of  water-deities,  see  §  54  C. 


464     •      CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Interpretative. — The  Cyclop,  Polyphemus,  does  not  possess  much  in 
common  with  Steropes,  Brontes,  and  Arges,  the  oflspring  of  Uranus  and  Gaea, 
save  his  one  eye  and  his  monstrous  size.  The  sons  of  Gaea  are  emphatically 
personifications  of  thunder  and  lightning;  Polyphemus  is  rather  the  heavy 
vapor  that  rolls  its  clouds  along  the  hillside.  The  clouds  are  the  sheep  that 
he  pastures;   the  sun  glowering  through  the  vapor  is  his  single  eye  (Cox). 

Illustrative.  —  John  Gay,  Song  of  Polypheme  (in  Acis  and  Galatea);  A. 
Dobson,  A  Tale  of  Polypheme;  R.  Buchanan,  Polypheme's  Passion;  Shelley, 
The  Cyclops  of  Euripides;  Translations  of  Theocritus  by  Mrs.  Browning  and 
by  Calverley;  J.  S.  Blackie,  Galatea;  B.  \V.  Procter,  The  Death  of  Acis.  See 
also  on  Cyclops,  Shakespeare,  Titus  Andron.  4:3;    Hamlet  2 :  2. 

In  Art.  —  Carracci's  frescos  in  the  Farnese  Palace,  Rome,  of  Polyphemus, 
Acis  and  Galatea  ;  Claude  Lorrain's  painting.  Evening,  Acis  and  Galatea; 
Raphael's  Triumph  of  Galatea. 

§  127.  Textual.  —  For  descent  of  Glaucus,  see  §  95  C  and  §  132  (5)  C. 
For  Scylla's  descent,  see  §  54  C.     See  Keats'  Endymion  Bk.  3. 

Interpretative.  —  Glaucus  is  explained  by  some  as  the  calm  gleaming  sea; 
by  others,  as  the  angry  sea  that  reflects  the  lowering  heavens  (see  Roscher, 
1690).  Scylla  is  a  personification  of  treacherous  currents  and  shallows  among 
jagged  cliffs  and  hidden  rocks  (see  §  52  C). 

§  129.  For  genealogy  of  Ino,  see  §  59  C  or  §  61  C.  "Leucothea  waked 
and  with  fresh  dews  embalmed  The  Earth,"  Milton,  P.  L.  Ii :  135. 

§  130.  Cyrene  was  sister  to  Daphne  (§  85).  Honey  must  first  have  been 
known  as  a  wild  product,  the  bees  building  their  structures  in  hollow  trees,  or 
holes  in  the  rocks,  or  any  similar  cavity  that  chance  offered.  Thus  occasion- 
ally the  carcass  of  a  dead  animal  would  be  occupied  by  the  bees  for  that  pur- 
pose. It  was  no  doubt  from  some  such  incident  that  the  superstition  arose 
that  bees  were  engendered  by  the  decaying  flesh  of  the  animal.  Vergil 
assigns  to  Proteus  the  isle  of  Carpathus,  between  Crete  and  Rhodes;  Homer, 
the  isle  of  Pharus,  near  the  river  Nile. 

Illustrative.  —  See  §  52  C.  Proteus,  a  poem  by  R.  Buchanan.  On 
Aristaeus,  Cowper's  Task,  comparison  of  the  ice-palace  of  Empress  Anne 
of  Russia  with  Cyrene's  palace.  Milton  probably  thought  of  Cyrene  in  describ- 
ing Sabrina  (Comus).     He  calls  Proteus  "  the  Carpathian  Wizard." 

§  131.  Textual.  —  Achelous:  the  largest  river  in  Greece,  rose  in  Mount 
Lacmon,  flowed  between  Acarnania  and  .^tolia,  and  emptied  into  the 
Ionian  Sea.  It  was  honored  over  all  Greece.  Calydon :  a  city  of  yEtolia, 
famed  for  the  Calydonian  Hunt,  §  148.  Parthenope,  see  §  171.  Ligea 
(Ligeia)  :  the  shrill-sounding  maiden  ;  here  a  Siren ;   sometimes  a  Dryad. 

Interpretative.  —  Even  among  the  ancients  such  stories  as  this  were 
explained  on  a  physical  basis :  the  river  Achelous  flows  through  the  realm  of 


§  132  (5)- 

The  Race  of  Japetus,  Deucalion, 

Atlas,  and  Hellen. 


I 


A.    Uranus  ^  G 

I 
Japetu 

I- 

Epimetli 
(Pando; 
I 
Pyrrh 


Calyce 
Endymion 

I ' 1 

Eurycyde     ^tolus 


Alcyone 

(Ceyx) 


Canace 

(Neptune) 

Aloeus 

=  Iphimedea 

I 


Perieres 


~~i 7~r~ 

Mimas         Magnes 


Eleiis 

I 

Attgeas 


I 1 

Calydon     Pleuron 

I  I 

Epicaste  =  Agenor 


I  I  Hippotes    I  I 

Icarius   Tjmdareus         f       Dictys    Polydectes 
I  (Lcda)  I 

Penelope  ^olusll. 

I  I  (Ulysses)  | 

Otus       Ephialtes  |  Ame  =  Neptune 

Telemachus  | 

(§  171,  etc.)  .ffU)lu8  UI. 

(King  of  the  Winds) 


Demonice 
(Mars) 


Portbaon 


6  sons 


I 
6  daughters 


Agnus 


Melanippus    Thersites 


Thestius 


(Eneas  = 
(i)  Periboea 
I 
Tydeus 

I 
Diomedes 


(2)  Althza 


I  I 

Meleager    Dejanlra 
=  Hercules 


Hypermnestra 

(Oleics) 


Althaea 

(CEneus) 


Amphiaratis 

=  Eriphyle 

(see  under  Cretheus) 


Leda        Plexippus      Toxeus  ( ?) 
(i)  Tyndareus  =  (2)  Jove 


Hyllus 


Castor    Clytemnestra 
=  Agamemnon 


PoUttz    Helen 
=  Paris 


=  Ge 

I 
)etus 


Table    I. 


letheus       Prometheus       Menoetius       Atlas 
adora)  (Clymene)  (see  B,  below) 

mha.     =     Deucalion 

HeUen 


Xuthus 


Diomede       Achaeus       Ion 


^olus 


DeTon 


Cephalus 

(Procris) 

(§  112) 

I   . 

Arcesius 

Laertes 

Ulysses 

(Penelope) 

(§  171) 


Actor 
Menoetius 


Athamas 

=  (i)  Nephcle   =    (2)  Ino    =    (3)  Themisto 

„  f        ~~\        Melicertes     Schceneus 
Helle     Phiyxus  of  Boeotia 


(§144) 


Sisyphus 

(Merope) 

Glaucus 

(§  127) 


Patroclus 

(§  168) 


Atalanta  Bellerophon 

•=  Hippomenes  (§  95)       (§  138) 


Nepti 
Nelei 


Hippolochus 

Glaucus 
(11-6:  15s) 


Laodamia 
(Jove) 

Sarpedon 


Nestor    Pero 
I        =Bia 
Antilochus 
(•§^68) 


B.    Atlas  =  (i)  Pleione 


Merope 

(Sisyphus) 


Sterope  II. 

(Mars) 


Electra        The  other 
(Jove)        Pleiades 


(Enomaus      Dardanus 

I  ^- 

Pelops  (§  no)  =  Hippodamia 


IIus  I. 


Agamemnon 
=  CI 


lytemnestra 
(§  165  C) 


Atreus        Thyestes 
(Aerope)  | 
I              jEgisthus 


Menelaiis 
=  Helen 


Erichthonius 
I 
Tros 

IIus  II. 

JEthra     Laomedon 


Pittheus 
(§  152) 


Theseus      Priam 

(§  167  C) 


1 

orns 


^  Imoneus 

■■  Tyro  

pelias  (§  147) 


1 


=  Cretheus 

Pheres  ^son      Amythaon 

4    [,        .    I           ~"l                  I  Jason           1^ 

Ifvadne    Acastus    Alcestis  =  Admetus  (§  145)        Bias 

^            r      J             (§^'^  =  Pero 

Laodamia  , 

(Protesilaus)  TalaiU 

(§  167)  ^^f"* 


(2)  iEthra 

The  Hyades 

(3)  Hesperis 
Irhe  Hesperides 

(4)  Steropc  I. 
Maia  =  Jove 

Mercury 


Melampus 
(the  Prophet) 

Antiphatcs    THiestius 

Oicles  =  flypermnestra 


(§f  .K3)    ^^^^^^  T  ^p""«««  (§  '63) 

A,       I 1 

Alcmaeon      AmpHilochus 

(§i64a) 
=  Arsinoe 


IL 


COMMENTAR  Y.  467 

Dejanira,  hence  Acheloiis  loves  Dejanira.  When  the  river  winds  it  is  a  snake, 
when  it  roars  it  is  a  bull,  when  it  overflows  its  banks  it  puts  forth  new  horns. 
Hercules  is  supposed  to  have  regulated  the  course  of  the  stream  by  confining 
it  within  a  new  and  suitable  channel.  At  the  same  time  the  old  channel, 
redeemed  from  the  stream,  subjected  to  cultivation,  and  blossoming  with 
flowers,  might  well  be  called  a  horn  of  plenty.  There  is  another  account  of 
the  origin  of  the  Cornucopia.  Jupiter  at  his  birth  was  committed  by  his 
mother  Rhea  to  the  care  of  the  daughters  of  Melisseus,  a  Cretan  king.  They 
fed  the  infant  deity  with  the  milk  of  the  goat  Amalthea.  Jupiter,  breaking 
off  one  of  the  horns  of  the  goat,  gave  it  to  his  nurses,  and  endowed  it  with 
the  power  of  becoming  filled  with  whatever  the  possessor  might  wish. 

Illustrative.  —  The  name  Amalthea  is  given  also  to  the  mother  of  Bacchus. 
It  is  thus  used  by  Milton,  V.  L.  Bk.  4:  — 

"  That  Nyseian  isle, 
Girt  with  the  river  Triton,  where  old  Cham, 
Whom  Gentiles  Ammon  call,  and  Libyan  Jove, 
Hid  Amalthea  and  her  florid  son. 
Young  Bacchus,  from  his  stepdame  Rhea's  eye." 

See  also  Milton,  P.  R.  2 :  356. 

§  132.  For  the  general  genealogy  of  the  race  of  Inachus,  see  §  59  C. 
For  the  general  table  of  the  race  of  Japetus,  Deucalion,  Hellen,  .1u)lus,  ,-Eto- 
lus,  etc.,  see  below,  §  132  (5),  Table  I.  (based  in  part  on  the  table  given  in 
Roscher,  article  Deukalion).  For  the  descendants  of  Agenor,  see  §  61  C. 
For  the  houses  of  Minos  and  of  Labdacus,  see  §§  149  C,  158  C.  For  the 
descendants  of  Belus,  see  §  133  C;  of  .Eolus,  below,  §  132  (5);  of  .^tolus, 
below,  §  132  (5),  and  §  148  C;   of  Cecrops  and  Erechtheus,  §  151  C. 

(1)  The  race  of  Inachus,  §  59  C. 

The  descendants  of  Pelasgus,  of  Belus,  of  Agenor 

(§§30,  59C)  I  I 

House  of  Danaiis  Houses  of  Minos  and  Labdacus 

(§1330  (§i49C)     (§§6.C,i58C) 

(3)  The  race  of  Deucalion  (§  95  C),  and  of  his  son,  Hellen,  §  133  (5)  below. 

The  descend.ints  of  ."Eolus,    of  Dorus,    of  Xuthus, 

I  (.\chzans  and  lonians) 

The  desceadants  of  Endymion,  Pericres,  Deioa,  Sisyphus,  Crethcus, 
Athamas 

(3)  The  descendants  of  iBtolus  (son  of  Endymion),  §  132  (5)  below. 

Houses  of  Porthaon  and  Thestius 

(§  148  C) 

(4)  The  race  of  Cecrops. 

The  descendants  of  Erecthonius  (§  151  C) 

House  of  Pandion  and  ^l^geus 


468  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

§§133-137.    Textual. — Seriphus:  an  island  of  the  yEgean. 
The  House  of  Danaus  is  as  follows :  — 


The  House  of  Danaus. 


Table  J. 

Inaehus  (§  59  C) 
lo  =  Jupiter 
Epaphus 
Libya  =  Posidon  (Neptune) 


Agenor  (§  61  C)  Belus  of  Egypt 


I  \  i 

Cadmus      Europa  iCgyptus  Danaiis        Cepheus  =  Cassiopea 

(§I49C)  I  I"  I 

I  I  I  I       Andromeda  =  Perseus 

49  other  sons      Lynceus  —  Hypermnestra         49  other  daughters  (see  below) 

Abas 

Acrisius 

Danae'  =  Jupiter 
I 
Perseus  =  Andromeda 

.1 ^ — I 

Perses        Electryon         Alcaeus 

Jupiter  =  Alcmene  =  Amphitryon 
I  I 

Hercules     Iphicles 

Interpretative.  —  While  Danaus  is,  in  fact,  a  native  mythical  hero  of 
Argos,  the  story  of  his  arrival  from  Eg}'pt  is  probably  an  attempt  to  explain 
the  influence  of  Egyptian  civilization  upon  the  Greeks.  The  name  Danaus 
means  drought,  and  may  refer  to  the  frequently  dry  condition  of  the  soil  of 
Argos.  The  fifty  daughters  of  Danaus  would  then  be  the  nymphs  of  the  many 
springs  which  in  season  refresh  the  land  of  Argolis.  Their  suitors,  the  fifty 
sons  of  /Egyptus,  would  be  the  streams  of  Argolis  that  in  the  rainy  months 
threaten  to  overflow  their  banks.  But  the  springs  by  vanishing  during  the 
hot  weather  deprive  the  streams  of  water  and  consequently  of  life.  That  is 
to  say,  when  the  sources  (Danalds)  choose  to  stop  supplies,  the  heads  of  the 
streams  (the  fifty  youths  of  Argolisj  are  cut  off.  The  reference  to  .Egyptus 
and  the  sons  of  /Egyptus  would  indicate  a  reminiscence  of  the  Nile  and  its 
tributaries,  alternately  overflowing  and  exhausted.  The  unsuccessful  toil  of 
the  Danalds  in  Tartarus  may  have  bten  suggested  by  the  sandy  nature  of  the 
Argive  soil,  and  the  leaky  nature  of  the  springs,  now  high,  now  low.     Or  it 


COMMENTARY.  469 

may  typify,  simply,  any  incessant  fruitless  labor.  The  name  Hypermnestra 
signities  cunstancy  and  love.  Danae,  the  daughter  of  Acrisius,  has  been 
regarded  as  the  dry  earth,  which  under  the  rains  of  the  golden  spring-time 
bursts  into  verdure  and  bloom;  or  as  the  dark  depths  of  the  earth;  or  as 
the  dawn,  from  which,  shot  through  with  the  golden  rays  of  heaven,  the  youth- 
ful Sun  is  born.  Advocates  of  the  last  theory  would  understand  the  voyage 
of  Danae  and  Perseus  as  the  tossing  of  the  sunbeams  on  the  waters  of  the 
eastern  horizon.  The  young  Sun  would  next  overcome  the  Gray-women, 
forms  of  the  gloaming,  and  then  slay  with  his  sword  of  light  the  black  cloud 
of  the  heavenly  vault,  the  Gorgon,  whose  aspect  is  night  and  death. 

The  Graeae  and  the  Gorgons  may,  with  greater  probability,  be  taken  as 
personifications  of  the  hidden  horrors  of  the  unknown  night-enveloped  ocean 
and  the  misty  horizon  whence  storms  come.  In  that  case,  the  Gneae  will  be 
the  gray  clouds,  and  their  one  tooth  (or  one  eye)  the  harmless  gleam  of  the 
lightning;  the  Gorgons  will  be  the  heavy  thunder-clouds,  and  their  petrifying 
gaze  the  swift  and  fatal  lightning-flash. 

But  there  are  stijl  others  who  find  in  the  Gorgon  Medusa  the  wan  visage 
of  the  moon,  empress  of  the  night,  slain  by  the  splendor  of  morning.  The 
sandals  of  Hermes  have,  accordingly,  been  explained  as  the  morning  breeze, 
or  even  as  the  chariot  of  the  sun.  The  invisible  helmet  may  be  the  clouds 
under  which  the  sun  disappears.  Compare  the  cloak  of  darkness  in  the  Three 
Daughters  of  King  O'llara;  and  the  Sword  of  Sharpness  in  the  Weaver's 
Son  and  the  Giant  of  White  Hill  (Curtin's  Myths  of  Ireland). 

Andromeda  is  variously  deciphered :  the  tender  dawn,  which  a  storm-cloud 
would  obscure  and  devour;  the  moon,  which  darkness,  as  a  dragon,  threatens 
to  swallow;  or  some  historic  character  that  has  passed  into  myth.  Compare 
the  contests  of  Perseus  and  the  Dragon,  Apollo  and  Pytho,  Hercules  and  the 
Serpents,  Cadmus  and  the  Dragon  of  Mars,  St.  George  and  the  Dragon,  Sieg- 
fried and  the  Worm  (Fafnir).  For  a  Gaelic  Andromeda  and  Perseus  see  The 
Thirteenth  Son  of  the  King  of  Erin  (Curtin's  Myths  of  Ireland). 

Perseus'  flight  to  the  Gardens  of  the  Hesperides  suggests,  naturally,  the 
circuit  of  the  sun  toward  the  flushing  western  horizon;  and,  of  course,  he  would 
here  behold  the  giant  Atlas,  who,  stationed  where  heaven  and  earth  meet, 
sustains  upon  his  shoulders  the  celestial  vault. 

The  Doom  of  Acrisius  reminds  one  of  that  of  Hyacinthus.  The  quoit 
suggests  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  the  name  Acrisius  may  be  construed  to  mean 
the  "  confused  or  gloomy  heavens  "  (Roscher,  Preller,  Miiller,  etc.). 

Illustrative. — "The  starred  .^thiop  queen":  Cassiopea  (Cassiepea,  or 
Cassiope)  became  a  constellation.  The  sea-nymphs,  however,  had  her  placed 
in  a  part  of  the  heavens  near  the  pole,  where  she  is  half  the  time  held  with 
her  head  downward,  to  teach  her  humility. 


470  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Danae.  —  Tennyson,  Princess,  "Now  lies  the  earth  all  Danae  to  the  stars. 
And  all  thy  heart  lies  open  unto  me."  Translations  of  Simonides'  Lament  of 
Danae,  by  W.  C.  Bryant  and  by  J.  H.  Frere.  Danaid  :  Chaucer,  L.  of  G.  W. 
2561  (Hypermnestra  and  Lynceus). 

Gorgons  and  Medusa.  Spenser,  Epithalamion,  "  And  stand  astonished 
like  to  those  which  read  Medusa's  mageful  head."  Milton,  P.  L.  2:611, 
628;  Comus  (on  ^gis  and  Gorgon);  Drummond,  The  Statue  of  Medusa; 
Gray,  Hymn  to  Adversity;  Armstrong,  The  Art  of  Preserving  Health;  D.  G. 
Rossetti,  Aspecta  Medusa;  L.  Morris  in  the  Epic  of  Hades;  Thomas  Gordon 
Hake,  The  Infant  Medusa  (a  sonnet). 

Andromeda.  —  Milton,  P.  L.  3:559  (the  constellation);  L.  Morris  (Epic 
of  Hades) ;   W.  Morris,  Doom  of  King  Acrisius. 

Atlas.  —  Shakespeare,  3  Hen.  VI.  5:1;  Milton,  P.  L.  4:987;  11:402, 
comparison  of  Satan  and  Atlas. 

In  Art. — Titian's  painting,  Danae  and  the  Shower  of  Gold;  Correggio's 
Danae.     Ancient  sculpture,  a  Danaid  in  the  Vatican. 

Perseus  and  Andromeda,  painting  by  Rubens  (Berlin).  Sculpture,  Ben- 
venuto  Cellini's  Perseus,  and  Perseus  saving  Andromeda;  Canova's  Perseus 
(Vatican). 

Medusa.  —  Grseco-Roman  sculpture.  Head  of  Dying  Medusa  (Villa  Ludo- 
visi,  Rome) ;  the  beautiful  Medusa  Rondanini  in  Glyptothek,  Munich;  numer- 
ous illustrations  of  abhorrent  Gorgons  in  Roscher  1707  et  seq.,  from  vases, 
seals,  marbles,  etc. 

Modem  Painting.  —  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Head  of  Medusa. 

§  138.  Textual.  —  The  descent  of  Bellerophon  is  as  follows.  See  also 
§i32(5)C:-         ^       ,        „     , 

Deucalion  =  Pyrrha 
Hellen 

^olus  (§  95  C)     Atlas 
Sisyphus       =       Merope  (Pleiad) 
Glaucus 
Bellerophon 

Lycia.  —  In  Asia  Minor.  The  fountain  Hippocrene,  on  the  Muses'  moun- 
tain Helicon,  was  opened  by  a  kick  from  the  hoof  of  Pegasus.  This  horse 
belongs  to  the  Muses,  and  has  from  time  immemorial  been  ridden  by  the  poets. 
From  the  story  of  Bellerophon  being  unconsciously  the  bearer  of  his  own 
death-warrant,  the  expression  " Bellerophontic  letters"  arose,  to  describe 
any  species  of  communication  which  a  person  is  made  the  bearer  of,  containing 
matter  prejudicial  to  himself.    Aleian  field :  a  district  in  Cilicia  (Asia  Minor). 

Interpretative. — Bellerophon  is  either  "he  who  appears  in  the  clouds," 


COMMENTARY.  471 

or  "  he  who  slays  the  cloudy  monster."  In  either  sense  we  have  another  sun- 
myth  and  sun-hero.  He  is  the  son  of  Glaucus,  who,  whether  he  be  descended 
from  Sisyphus,  or  from  Neptune,  is  undoubtedly  a  sea-god.  His  horse,  sprung 
from  Medusa,  the  thunder-cloud,  when  she  falls  under  the  sword  of  the  sun,  is 
Pegasus,  the  rain-cloud.  In  his  contest  with  the  Chimxra  we  have  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  combat  of  Perseus  and  the  sea  monster.  Bellerophon  is  a  heavenly 
knight-errant  who  slays  the  powers  of  storm  and  darkness.  The  earth,  struck 
by  his  horse's  hoof,  bubbles  into  springs  (Rapp  in  Roscher,  —  and  Max  M  fil- 
ler). At  the  end  of  the  day,  falling  from  heaven,  this  knight  of  the  sun 
walks  in  melancholy  the  pale  fields  of  the  twilight. 

Illustrative.  —  Milton  (Bellerophon  and  Pegasus),  P.  L.  7:  i;  Spenser, 
"Then  whoso  will  with  virtuous  wing  assay  To  mount  to  heaven,  on  Pegasus 
must  ride,  And  with  sweet  Poet's  verse  be  glorified";  also  F.  Q.  I.  9:  21; 
Shakespeare,  Taming  the  Shrew  4:4;  I  Hen.  IV.  4:1;  Hen.  V.  3 :  7;  Pope, 
Essay  on  Criticism  150;  Dunciad  3:  162;  Burns,  To  John  Taylor;  Young's 
Night  Thoughts  Vol.  2  (on  Bellerophontic  letters).  Hippocrene:  Keats,  To 
a  Nightingale. 

Poems.  —  Wm.  Morris,  Bellerophon  in  Argos  and  in  Lycia  (Earthly  Para- 
dise) ;  Longfellow's  Pegasus  in  Pound ;  Bowring's  translation  of  Schiller's 
Pegasus  in  Harness. 

In  Art.  —  Bellerophon  and  Pegasus,  vase  picture  (Monuments  inedits,  etc., 
Rome  and  Paris,  1839-1874). 

§§  '39-143"  For  genealogy  of  Hercules,  see  133  C.  Rhadamanthus : 
brother  of  Minos.  See  Index.  Thespis  and  Orchomenos :  towns  of  Boeo- 
tia.     Nemea :  in  Argolis,  near  Mycenae.     Stymphalian  lake  :  in  Arcadia. 

Pillars  of  Hercules.  — The  chosen  device  of  Charles  V.  of  Germany  repre- 
sented the  Pillars  of  Hercules  entwined  by  a  scroll  that  bore  his  motto,  "  Plus 
Ultra"  (still  farther).  This  de\'ice,  imprinted  upon  the  German  dollar,  has 
been  adopted  as  the  sign  of  the  American  dollar  ($).  Dollar,  by  the  way, 
means  coin  of  the  valley, —  German  Thai.  The  silver  of  the  first  dollars  came 
from  Joachimsthal  in  Bohemia,  about  15 1 8.  Hesperides:  the  western  sky 
at  sunset.  The  apples  may  have  been  suggested  by  stories  of  the  oranges  of 
Spain.  The  Cacus  myth  is  thoroughly  latinized,  but  of  Greek  origin.  The 
Aventine :  one  of  the  hills  of  Rome.  Colchis :  in  Asia,  east  of  the  Euxine 
and  south  of  Caucasus.  Mysia :  province  of  .\sia  Minor,  north  of  Lydia. 
The  river  Phasis  flows  through  Colchis  into  the  Euxine.  For  genealogy  of 
Laomedon,  see  §  167  C.  Pylos:  it  is  doubtful  what  city  is  intended.  There 
were  two  such  towns  in  Elis,  and  one  in  Messenia.  The  word  means  gate 
(see  Iliad  5  :  397),  and  in  the  case  of  Hercules  there  may  be  some  reference  to 
his  journey  to  the  gate  or  Pylos  of  Hades.  For  Alcestis,  see  §  81;  for  Pro- 
metheus, §  25;   for  the  family  of  Dejanira,  §  148  C.     Alcides:  descendant  of 


472  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Alcoeus;  for  Hercules,  see  §  133  C.  (Echalia :  in  Thessaly  or  in  Eubcea. 
Mount  (Eta  :  in  Thessaly.  The  Pygmies  :  a  nation  of  dwarfs,  so  called  from 
a  Greek  word  meaning  the  cubit,  or  measure  of  about  thirteen  inches, 
which  was  said  to  be  the  height  of  these  people.  They  lived  near  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  or,  according  to  others,  in  India.  Homer  tells  us  that  the  cranes 
used  to  migrate  every  winter  to  the  Pygmies'  country,  where,  attacking  the 
corn-fields,  they  precipitated  war.  H.  M.  Stanley,  in  his  last  African  expedi- 
tion, discovered  a  race  of  diminutive  men  that  correspond  fairly  in  appearance 
with  those  mentioned  by  Homer. 

Interpretative.  —  All  myths  of  the  sun  represent  that  luminary  as  strug- 
gling against,  and  overcoming,  monsters,  or  performing  other  laborious  tasks 
in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  some  tyrant  of  inferior  spirit,  but  of  legal 
authority.  Since  the  life  of  Hercules  is  composed  of  such  tasks,  it  is  easy  to 
class  him  with  other  sun-heroes.  But  to  construe  his  whole  history  and  all 
his  feats  as  symbolic  of  the  sun's  progress  through  the  heavens,  beginning  with 
the  labors  performed  in  his  eastern  home  and  ending  with  the  capture  of  Cer- 
berus in  the  underworld  beyond  the  west,  or  to  construe  the  subjects  of  the 
twelve  labors  as  consciously  recalling  the  twelve  signs  of  the  Zodiac  is 
not  only  unwarranted,  but  absurd.  To  some  extent  Hercules  is  a  sun-hero; 
to  some  extent  his  adventures  are  fabulous  history;  to  a  greater  extent  both 
he  and  his  adventures  are  the  product  of  generations  of  aesthetic,  but  primi- 
tive and  fanciful,  invention.  The  same  statement  holds  true  of  nearly  all 
the  heroes  and  heroic  deeds  of  mythology.  As  a  matter  of  interest,  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  serpents  that  attacked  Hercules  in  his  cradle  are  explained  as 
powers  of  darkness  which  the  sun  destroys;  and  the  cattle  that  he  tended,  as  the 
clouds  of  morning.  His  choice  between  pleasure  and  duty,  at  the  outset  of  his 
career,  enforces,  of  course,  a  lesson  of  conduct.  His  lion's  skin  may  denote 
the  tawny  cloud  which  the  sun  trails  behind  him  as  he  fights  his  way  through 
the  vapors  that  he  overcomes  (Cox).  The  slaughter  of  the  Centaurs  may 
be  the  dissipation  of  these  vapors.  His  insanity  may  denote  the  raging  heat 
of  the  sun  at  noonday.  The  Nemean  lion  may  be  a  monster  of  cloud  or 
darkness;  the  Hydra,  a  cloud  that  confines  the  kindly  rains,  or  at  times 
covers  the  heavens  with  numerous  necks  and  heads  of  vapor.  The  Cerynean 
Stag  may  be  a  golden-tinted  cloud  that  the  sun  chases;  and  the  Cattle  of  the 
Augean  stables,  clouds  that  refusing  to  burst  in  rain,  resign  the  earth  to 
drought  and  filth.  The  Erymanthian  boar  and  the  Cretan  bull  are  probably 
varied  forms  of  the  powers  of  darkness;  so  also  the  Stamphalian  (Stymphalian) 
birds  atid  the  giant  Cacus.  Finally,  the  scene  of  the  hero's  death  is  a  "  pic- 
ture of  a  sunset  in  wild  confusion,  the  nmltitude  of  clouds  hurrying  hither  and 
thither,  now  hiding,  now  revealing  the  mangled  body  of  the  sun."  In  this  way 
Cox,  and  other  interpreters  of  myth,  would  explain  the  series.     But  while  the 


COMMENTARY.  473 

explanations  are  entertaining  and  poetic,  their  very  plausibility  should  suggest 
caution  in  accepting  them.  It  is  not  safe  to  construe  all  the  details  of  a  mythi- 
cal career  in  terms  of  any  one  theory.  The  more  noble  side  of  the  character  of 
Hercules  presents  itself  to  the  moral  understanding,  as  worthy  of  consid- 
eration and  admiration.  The  dramatist  Euripides  has  portrayed  him  as  a 
great-hearted  hero,  high-spirited  and  jovial,  rejoicing  in  the  vigor  of  man- 
hood, comforting  the  downcast,  wrestling  with  Death  and  overcoming  him, 
restoring  happiness  where  sorrow  had  obtained.  No  grander  conception  of 
manliness  has  in  modern  times  found  expression  in  poetry  than  that  of  the 
Hercules  in  Browning's  transcript  of  Euripides,  Balaustion's  Adventure. 

Illustrative.  —  Lang's  translation  of  the  Lityerses  Song  (Theocritus,  Idyl 
lo).  For  Hercules,  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  Astrophel  and  Stella;  Spenser,  F.  Q. 
I,  11:37;  Shakespeare,  M.  of  Venice  2:1;  3:2;  Taming  of  the  Shrew 
1:2;  Coriol.  4:1;  Hamlet  l :  2;  Much  Ado  2:1;  3:3;  K.  John  2:1;  Titus 
Andron.  4:2;  Ant.  and  Cleo.  4:10;  I  Hen.  ¥1.4:7;  Pope,  Satires  5 :  1 7 ; 
Milton,  P.  L.  11:410  (Geryon).  Amazons:  Shakespeare,  K.  John  5:2; 
M.  N.  Dream  2:2;  I  Hen.  VI.  1 :  4;  3  Hen.  VI.  i :  4;  Pope,  Rape  of  Lock 
3  :  67.     Hylas :  Pope,  Autumn ;   Dunciad  2 :  336. 

Poems.  —  S.  Rogers,  on  the  Torso  of  Hercules;  Browning,  Balaustion 
and  Aristophanes'  Apology;  L.  Morris,  Dejancira  (Epic  of  Hades)  ;  William 
Morris,  The  Golden  Apples  (Earthly  Paradise);  J.  H.  Frere's  translation  of 
Euripides'  Hercules  Furens,  and  Plumptre's,  or  R.  Whitelaw's  (1883),  of 
Sophocles'  Women  of  Trachis.  Pygmies:  James  Beattie;  Battle  of  the 
Pygmies  and  the  Cranes.  Dejanira :  fragment  of  chorus  of  a  Dejaneira,  by 
M.  Arnold.  Hylas :  Moore  (song),  "  When  Hylas  was  sent  with  his  urn  to  the 
fount,"  etc.;  Bayard  Taylor,  Hylas;  translation  of  Theocritus  XIII.  by  C.  S. 
Calverley :   1869. 

In  Art.  —  Heracles  in  the  eastern  pediment  of  the  Parthenon  (perhaps  this 
is  a  Theseus);  Farnese  Hercules  (National  Museum,  Naples);  Hercules  in 
the  metopes  of  the  Temple  of  Silenus  (Museum,  Palermo);  the  Infant  Her- 
cules strangling  a  Serpent  (antique  sculpture)  in  the  Uffizi  at  Florence;  C.  G. 
Gleyre's  painting,  Hercules  at  the  Feet  of  Omphale  (Louvre);  Bandinelli 
(sculpture),  Hercules  and  Cacus;  Giovanni  di  Bologna  (sculpture),  Hercules 
and  Centaur;  Amazon  (ancient  sculpture),  Vatican;  Centaur  (sculpture), 
Capitol,  Rome;  the  Mad  Heracles,  vase  picture  (Monuments  inedits,  Rome 
and  Paris,  1839-1878). 

§§  144-147.  For  the  descent  of  Jason  from  Deucalion,  see  §  95  C.  lolcos : 
a  town  in  Thessaly.  Lemnos :  in  the  vEgean,  near  Tenedos.  Phinens :  a 
son  of  Ajenor,  or  of  Posidon.     For  the  family  of  Medea,  see  §  113  C. 

Interpretative.  —  Argo  means  swift,  or  white,  or  commemorates  the  ship- 
builder, or  the  city  of  Argos.    The  Argo-myth  rests  upon  a  mixture  of  tradi- 


474  CLASSIC  MYTHS   IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

tions  of  the  earliest  seafaring  and  of  the  course  of  certain  physical  phenomena. 
So  far  as  the  tradition  of  primitive  seafaring  is  concerned,  it  may  refer  to  some 
half-piratical  expedition,  the  rich  spoils  of  which  might  readily  be  known  as 
the  Golden  Fleece.  So  far  as  the  physical  tradition  is  concerned,  it  may  refer 
to  the  course  of  the  year  (the  Ram  of  the  Golden  Fleece  being  the  fructify- 
ing clouds  that  come  and  go  across  the  yEgean)  or  to  the  process  of  sunrise 
and  sunset:  —  Helle  being  the  glimmering  twilight  that  sinks  into  the  sea; 
Phrixus,  the  radiant  sunlight;  the  Voyage  of  the  Argo  through  the  Sympleg- 
ades,  the  nocturnal  journey  of  the  sun  down  the  west;  the  Oak  with  the 
Golden  Fleece,  a  symbol  of  the  sunset  which  the  dragon  of  darkness  guards; 
the  fire-breathing  Bulls,  the  advent  of  morning;  the  Offspring  of  the  dragon's 
teeth,  an  image  of  the  sunbeams  leaping  from  eastern  darkness.  Medea  is 
a  typical  wise-woman  or  witch;  daughter  of  Hecate  and  granddaughter  of 
Asteria,  the  starry  heavens,  she  comes  of  a  family  skilled  in  magic.  Her  aunt 
Circe  was  even  more  powerful  in  necromancy  than  she.  The  Robe  of 
Medea  is  the  Fleece  in  another  form.  The  death  of  Glauce  suggests  that 
of  Hercules  (in  the  flaming  sunset?).  Jason  is  no  more  faithful  to  his  sweet- 
heart than  other  solar  heroes  —  Hercules,  Perseus,  Theseus  —  are  to  theirs. 
The  sun  must  leave  the  colors  and  glories,  the  twilights  and  the  clouds  of 
to-day,  for  those  of  to-morrow.  (See  Roscher,  Lex.  530-537.)  The  physical 
explanation  is  more  than  commonly  plausible.  But  the  numerous  adventures 
of  the  Argonauts  are  certainly  survivals  of  various  local  legends  that  have  been 
consolidated  and  preserved  in  the  artistic  form  of  the  myth.  Jason  may  be 
the  representative  of  the  Ionian  race,  beloved  by  Medea,  whose  name,  "  the 
counselling  woman,"  suggests  a  goddess.  Perhaps  Medea  was  a  local  Juno, 
afterwards  degraded  to  the  rank  of  a  heroine.  The  S3nnplegades  may  be  a 
reminiscence  of  rolling  and  clashing  icebergs;  the  dove-incident  occurs  in 
numerous  ancient  stories  from  that  of  Noah  down.  If  Medea  be  another 
personification  of  morning  and  evening  twilight,  then  her  dragons  are  rays 
of  sunlight  that  precede  her.  At  any  rate,  they  are  part  of  the  usual  equi- 
page of  a  witch,  symbolizing  wisdom,  foreknowledge,  swiftness,  violence,  and 
Oriental  mystery. 

Illustrative.  — The  Argo,  see  Theodore  Martin's  translation  of  Catullus 
54  (Peleus  and  Thetis),  for  the  memorable  launch;  Pope,  St.  Cecilia's  Day. 
Jason:  Shakespeare,  M.  of  Venice  i :  i;  3:2.  .Sson:  M.  of  Venice  5:1. 
Absyrtus:  2  Hen.  VI.  5:2.  Poems:  Chaucer,  L.  of  G.  W.  1366  (Ypsi- 
phile  and  Medea);  W.  Morris,  Life  and  Death  of  Jason;  Frederick  Tenny- 
son, /Eson  and  King  Athamas  (in  Daphne  and  Other  Poems).  Thos.  Camp- 
bell's translation  of  the  chorus  in  Euripides'  Medea,  beginning  "  Oh,  haggard 
queen  !  to  Athens  dost  thou  guide  thy  glowing  chariot."  Translations  of  the 
Medea  of  Euripides  have  been  made  by  Augusta  Webster,  1868;  by  W.  C. 
Lawton  (Three  Dramas  of  Euripides)  1889;   and  by  Wodhull;  see  §  11  C. 


COMMENTAR  V. 


475 


§  148.  Textual. 

Table  K. 

The  Descendants  of  ^tolus  (son  of  Endymion). 

Endymion 

I 

^tolus 


I 

Calydon      Pleuron 
Epicaste  =  Agenor 


Porthaon 


Demonice  (Mars) 
Thestius 


Periboca  (i)  =  (Eneus  =  (2)  Althaea 

I  I 

Tydeus 


— 1 7~T~ 

Plexippus         loxeus 


Leda 


(i)  Tyndareus  (Sparta) 
(2)  Jupiter 


Diomede 


Meleager 


Dejanira  =  Hercules 


Pollux      Helen 
i'j'  Jupiter 


Castor      Clytemnestra 
by  Tyndareus 
(§  i6s  c) 

For  general  table,  see  §  132  (5)  C. 

For  Calydon,  see  Index.    The  Arcadian  Atalanta  was  descended  from 
the  Areas  who  was  son  of  Jupiter  and  Callisto.     See  §  59  C. 

Interpretative.  — Atalanta  is  the  "unwearied  maiden."     She  is  the  human 
counterpart  of  the  huntress  Diana.    The  story  has,  of  course,  been  allegorically 
explained,  but  it  bears  numerous  marks  of  local  and  historic  origin. 
Illustrative.  —  Swinburne,  Atalanta  in  Calydon;     Margaret    J, 
The  Quenched  Branch;   Shakespeare,  2  Hen.  IV.  2:2;    2  Hen.  VI 
In  Art.  — The  Meleager  (sculpture)  in  the  Vatican. 
§  149.   The  Descendants  of  Minos  I.     (See,  also,  §  59,  C.) 


Preston, 
I  :  I. 


Table  L. 


Jupiter  =  Europa 


Hinos  I.  =  I  tone 

I  Helios  =  Perseis 

Lycastus 

I  I r~ 

Minos  II .  =  Pasiphaii       Circe 


Crateus 

I 

Aerope 

=  Atreus 

(§  165) 


Phaedra  Ariadne 

=  Theseus       =  Theseus 

(§  157)  (§  152) 


jEetes  =  Hecate 


Medea 

(§  145) 


Asteria  =  Perscs 

I 


Interpretative.  —  Discrimination  between  Minos  I.  and  Minos  II.  is  made 
in  the  text,  but  is  rarely  observed.     Minos,  according  to  Preller,  is  the  solar 


476  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

king  and  hero  of  Crete;  his  wife,  Pasiphae,  is  the  moon  (who  was  worshipped 
in  Crete  under  the  form  of  a  cow) ;  and  the  Minotaur  is  the  lord  of  the  starry 
heavens  which  are  his  labyrinth.  Others  make  Pasiphae,  whose  name  means, 
"  shiner  upon  all,"  the  bright  heaven;  and  Minos  (in  accordance  with  his  name, 
the  Man,  par  excellence),  the  thinker  and  measurer.  A  lawgiver  on  earth, 
the  Homeric  Minos  readily  becomes  a  judge  in  Hades.  Various  fanciful  inter- 
pretations, such  as  storm-cloud,  sun,  etc.,  are  given  of  the  Bull.  Cox  explains 
the  Minotaur  as  night,  devouring  all  things.  The  tribute  from  Athens  may 
suggest  some  early  suzerainty  in  politics  and  religion  exercised  by  Crete  over 
neighboring  lands.  For  Msander,  see  Pope,  Rape  of  Lock  5  :  65 ;  Dunciad 
1:64;   3:55. 

§  150.  Interpretative.  —  Daedalus  is  a  representative  of  the  earliest  tech- 
nical skill,  especially  in  wood-cutting,  carving,  and  the  plastic  arts  used  for 
industrial  purposes.  His  flight  from  one  land  to  another  signifies  the  intro- 
duction of  inventions  into  the  countries  concerned.  The  fall  of  Icarus 
was  probably  invented  to  explain  the  name  of  the  Icarian  Sea. 

Illustrative.  —  Daedalus  :  Chaucer,  H.  of  F.  409.  Icarus :  Shakespeare, 
I  Hen.  VI.  4:6;  4:7;  3  Hen.  VI.  5:  6;  poem  on  Icarus  by  Bayard  Taylor; 
travesty  by  J.  G.  Saxe. 

In  Art.  —  Sculpture:  Canova's  Daedalus  and  Icarus;  painting  by  J.  M. 
Vien;   also  by  A.  Pisano  (Campanile,  Florence). 

§  151.  The  descendants  of  Erichthonius  are  as  follows:  — 

.     Table  M. 


Jupiter 

Fantalus 

I 
Pelops  Pandion  I. 


Tantalus  (§  77  C)  Erichthonius 

I 


Pittheus       Atreus       Thyestes                         Erechtheus       Procne       Philomela 
I  (§165)        (§165)  I 


I  Pandion  II.     Creiisa 

I  I  =  (i)  Apollo   =  (2)  Xuthus 

iEthra     =     ^geus  |  (§  59  C) 

I  Ion 

Theseus  (§  152) 
=  1)  Ariadne  =2)  Antiope  (Hippolyta)  =  3)  Phjedra 

d.  of  Minos  II.  (§  149  C)  |  d.  of  Minos  II. 

Hippol3rta8 

Cecrops.  —  See  §  67.  According  to  one  tradition,  Cecrops  was  autoch- 
thonous and  had  one  son,  Erysichthon,  who  died  without  issue,  and  three 
daughters,  Herse,  Aglauros,  and  Pandrosos  (personifications  of  Dew  and  its 
vivifying  influences).  According  to  another  tradition  he  was  of  the  line  of 
Ericthonius,  being  either  a  son  of  Pandion  I.,  or  a  son  of  Erechtheus  and  a 


COMMENTAR  Y.  477 

grandson  of  Pandion  I.  At  any  rate  he  was  regarded  as  the  founder  of  the 
worship  of  Athene  and  of  various  moral  and  civic  institutions.  He  is  probably 
a  hero  of  the  Pelasgian  race. 

Ion.  —  According  to  one  tradition,  the  race  of  Erechtheus  became  extinct, 
save  for  Ion,  a  son  of  Apollo  and  Creiisa,  daughter  of  Erechtheus.  This  son, 
having  been  removed  at  birth,  was  brought  up  in  Apollo's  temple  at  Delphi, 
and,  in  accordance  with  the  oracle  of  ApuUo,  afterwards  adopted  by  Creiisa 
and  her  husl^and  Xuthus.  Ion  founded  the  new  dynasty  of  Athens.  But, 
according  to  I'ausanias  and  Apollodorus,  the  dynasty  of  Erechtheus  was  con- 
tinued by  .£geus,  who  was  either  a  son,  or  an  adopted  son,  of  Pandion  II. 
By  /Ethra  he  became  father  of  Theseus,  in  whose  veins  flowed,  therefore,  the 
blood  of  Pelops  and  of  Erichthonius. 

Interpretative.  —  The  story  of  Philomela  was  probably  invented  to 
account  for  the  sad  song  of  the  nightingale.  With  her  the  swallow  is  asso- 
ciated as  another  much  loved  bird  of  spring.  Occasionally  Procne  is  spoken 
of  as  the  nightingale,  and  Philomela  as  the  swallow. 

Illustrative. — Chaucer,  L.  of  G.  W.,  Philomela  of  Athens;  Milton,  II 
Pens.;  Richard  Barntield,  Song:  "As  it  fell  upon  a  day";  Thomson,  Hymn 
on  the  Seasons;  M.  .\rnold.  The  New  Philomela;  Swinburne,  Itylus;  Oscar 
Wilde,  The  Burden  of  Itys;   Sir  Thos.  Noon  Talfourd's  grand  drama,  Ion. 

§§  152-157.  TrOBZen.  —  In  Argolis.  According  to  some,  the  Amazonian 
wife  of  Theseus  was  Hippolj^a;  but  her  Hercules  had  already  killed.  The- 
seus is  said  to  have  united  the  several  tribes  of  Attica  into  one  state,  of 
which  Athens  was  the  capital.  In  commemoration  of  this  important  event, 
he  instituted  the  festival  of  Panathenaea,  in  honor  of  Minerva,  the  patron  deity 
of  Athens.  This  festival  differed  from  the  other  Grecian  games  chiefly  in  two 
particulars.  It  was  peculiar  to  the  Athenians,  and  its  chief  feature  was  a 
solemn  procession  in  which  the  Peplus,  or  sacred  robe  of  Minerva,  was  carried 
to  the  Parthenon,  and  suspended  before  the  statue  of  the  goddess.  The  Peplus 
was  covered  with  embroidery,  worked  by  select  virgins  of  the  noblest  families 
in  Athens.  The  procession  consisted  of  persons  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes. 
The  old  men  carried  olive  branches  in  their  hands,  and  the  young  men  bore 
arms.  The  young  women  carried  baskets  on  their  heads,  containing  the  sacred 
utensils,  cakes,  and  all  things  necessary  for  the  sacrifices.  The  procession 
formed  the  subject  of  the  bas-reliefs  which  embellished  the  outside  of  the 
temple  of  the  Parthenon.  A  considerable  portion  of  these  sculptures  is  now 
in  the  British  Museum  among  those  known  as  the  "  Elgin  marbles."  We  may 
mention  here  the  other  celebrated  nati<mal  games  of  the  Greeks.  The  first 
and  most  distinguished  were  the  Olympic,  founded,  it  was  said,  by  Jupiter  him- 
self. They  were  celebrated  at  Olympia  in  Elis.  Vast  numbers  of  spectators 
flocked  to  them  from  every  part  of  Greece,  and  from  Asia,  Africa,  and  Sicily. 


478  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

They  were  repeated  every  fifth  year  in  midsummer,  and  continued  five  days. 
They  gave  rise  to  the  custom  of  reckoning  time  and  dating  events  by  Olym- 
piads. The  first  Olympiad  is  generally  considered  as  corresponding  with  the 
year  776  B.C.  The  Pythian  games  were  celebrated  in  the  vicinity  of  Delphi, 
the  Isthmian  on  the  Corinthian  isthmus,  the  Nemean  at  Nemea,  a  city  of 
Argolis.  The  exercises  in  these  games  were  of  five  sorts:  running,  leaping, 
wrestling,  throwing  the  quoit,  and  hurling  the  javelin,  or  boxing.  Besides  these 
exercises  of  bodily  strength  and  agility,  there  were  contests  in  music,  poetry, 
and  eloquence.  Thus  these  games  furnished  poets,  musicians,  and  authors 
the  best  opportunities  to  present  their  productions  to  the  public,  and  the  fame 
of  the  victors  was  diffused  far  and  wide. 

Interpretative.  —  Theseus  is  the  Attic  counterpart  of  Hercules,  not  so 
significant  in  moral  character,  but  eminent  for  numerous  similar  labors,  and 
pre-eminent  as  the  mythical  statesman  of  Athens.  His  story  may,  with  the 
usual  perilous  facility,  be  explained  as  a  solar  myth.  Periphetes  may  be  a 
storm-cloud  with  its  thunderbolts;  the  Marathonian  Bull  and  the  Minotaur 
may  be  forms  of  the  power  of  darkness  hidden  in  the  starry  labyrinth  of 
heaven.  Like  Hercules,  Theseus  fights  with  the  Amazons  (clouds,  we  may 
suppose,  in  some  form  or  other),  and,  like  him  he  descends  to  the  underworld. 
Ariadne  may  be  another  twilight-sweetheart  of  the  sun,  and,  like  Medea 
and  Dejanira,  she  must  be  deserted.  She  is  either  the  "  well-pleasing "  or 
the  "  saintly."  She  was,  presumably,  a  local  nature-goddess  of  Naxos  and 
Crete,  who,  in  process  of  time,  like  Medea,  sank  to  the  condition  of  a  hero- 
ine. Probably  from  her  goddess-existence  the  marriage  with  Bacchus  sur- 
vived, to  be  incorporated  later  with  the  Attic  myth  of  Theseus.  As  the 
female  semblance  of  Bacchus,  she  appears  to  have  been  a  promoter  of 
vegetation;  and,  like  Proserpina,  she  alternated  between  the  joy  of  spring 
and  the  melancholy  of  winter.  By  some  she  is  considered  to  be  connected 
with  star-worship  as  a  moon-goddess. 

Illustrative. — Chaucer,  The  Knight's  Tale  (for  Theseus  and  Ypolita); 
The  House  of  Fame  407,  and  the  L.  of  G.  W.,  1884,  for  Ariadne;  Shake; 
speare,  Two  Gen.  of  Verona  4:  I;  M.N.  Dream  2:2  (where  Hippolyta  is 
represented  as  the  queen  of  Theseus).  In  Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  Maid's 
Tragedy  2 :  2,  a  tapestry  is  ordered  to  be  worked  illustrating  Theseus'  deser- 
tion of  Ariadne.  Landor,  To  Joseph  Ablett,  "  Bacchus  is  coming  down  to 
drink  to  Ariadne's  love";  Landor,  Theseus,  and  Hippolyta;  Mrs.  Browning, 
Paraphrase  on  Nonnus  (Bacchus  and  Ariadne),  Paraphrase  on  Hesiod;  Sir 
Theodore  Martin,  Catullus  LXIV.  Other  poems :  B.  W.  Procter,  On  the 
Statue  of  Theseus;  Frederick  Tennyson,  Ariadne  (Daphne  and  Other  Poems) ; 
Mrs.  Hemans,  The  Shade  of  Theseus;  R.  S.  Ross,  Ariadne  in  Naxos;  J.  S. 
Blackie,  Ariadne;   W.  M.  W.  Call,  Ariadne;    Mrs.  H.  H.  Jackson,  Ariadne's 


COMMENTARY.  479 

Farewell.  Phaedra  and  Hippolytus:  The  Hippolytus  of  Euripides;  Swin- 
burne, I'hredra;  Browning,  Artemis  Prologizes;  M.  P.  Fitzgerald,  The 
Crowned  Hippolytus;  A.  Mary  F.  Robinson,  The  Crowned  Hippolytus; 
L.  Morris  (Epic  of  Hades),  Phaedra.  On  Cecrops:  J.  S.  Blackie,  The  Nam- 
ing of  Athens.     Erechtheus,  by  A.  C.  Swinburne. 

In  Art.  — The  Battle  with  the  Amazons  frequently  recurs  in  ancient  sculp- 
ture; The  Sleeping  Ariadne,  of  the  Vatican.  Modern  Sculpture :  the  Theseus 
of  Canova  (Volksgarten,  Vienna);  the  Ariadne  of  Dannecker.  Paintings: 
Tintoretto's  Ariadne  and  Bacchus;  Teschendorflf's  Ariadne;  Titian's  Bacchus 
and  Ariadne. 

§§  158-164.  The  Royal  Family  of  Thebes. 


Agenor 

Cadmus 

1 

Table  N. 
(§  61 0 

1 
Agave  (Echion) 

Pentheus 

Menoeceus  I. 

1 

Polydorus 
Labdacus 

=    Laius 
(Edipus  =  Jocasta 

1                             1 
Creon               Jocasta 

'enocccus  II.           Hxmon 

Eteecles       Poljmices 

Antigone        Ismene 

Illustrative.  —  (Edipus:  Plumptre's  translation  of  Gidipus  the  King,  Oedi- 
pus Coloneus,  and  Antigone;  Shelley,  Swellfoot  the  Tyrant;  E.  Fitzgerald, 
The  Downfall  and  Death  of  King  Oidipus;  Sir  F.  H.  Doyle,  CEdipus 
Tyrannus;  Aubrey  de  Vere,  Antigone;  Emerson,  The  Sphinx;  W.  B.  Scott, 
The  Sphinx;  M.  Arnold,  Fragment  of  an  Antigone.  Tiresias:  By  Swin- 
burne, Tennyson,  and  Thomas  Woolner. 

In  Art.  —  Ancient :  Ovlipus  and  the  Sphinx,  in  Monuments  Inedits  (Rome, 
Paris,  1839-1878).  Modern  paintings:  Teschendorff's  CFxlipus  and  Antigone, 
Antigone  and  Ismene,  and  Antigone;  (Ivlipus  and  the  Sphinx,  by  J.  D.  A. 
Ingres;  The  Sphinx,  by  D.  G.  Rossetti. 

§§  158-176.  Of  the  stories  told  in  these  sections  no  systematic,  allegorical, 
or  physical  interpretations  are  here  given,  because  (l)  the  general  method 
followed  by  the  unravellers  of  myth  has  already  been  sufficiently  illustrated; 
(2)  the  attempt  to  force  symbolic  conceptions  into  the  longer  folk-stories,  or 
into  the  artistic  myths  and  epics  of  any  country,  is  historically  unwarranted  and, 


480  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITER  A  TURE. 

in  practice,  is  only  too  often  capricious;  (3)  the  effort  to  interpret  such  stories 
as  the  Iliad  and  the  Odyssey  must  result  in  destroying  those  elements  of 
unconscious  simplicity  and  romantic  vigor  that  characterize  the  products  of 
early  creative  imagination. 

§  165.   Houses  Concerned  in  the  Trojan  War. 

Table  O. 
(i)  Family  of  Peleus  and  its  connections  :  — 

Asopus 
Jupiter  =  jEgina        Nereus  =  Doris 
.^acus 


Telamon       Peleus        =       Thetis 


Ajax  Teucer  Achilles 

(§§  167,  168,  169)  I 

Pyrrhus  (Neoptolemus)  (§  169) 
=  Hermione 
d.  of  Menelaiis  and  Helen 

(2)   Family  of  Atreus  and  its  connections :  — 

Jupiter 


Minos  I.  Tantalus 

I 


Lycastus 

Minos  II.  Pelops  =  Hippodamia 

Crateus 


(§  132  (5)  C) 


1       n. 


Aerope  =  Atreus  Thyestes        Pittheus 


Agamemnon  Menelaiis  .^gisthus    ^Ethra 

=  Clytemnestra  (§  132  (5)  C)      =  Helen  (§  132  (5)  C)  (i«geus) 

\^ I  Theseus 

Iphigenia        Electra        Chrysothemis        Orestes  Hermione      Hippolytus 

=  (i)  Neoptolemus 
=  (2)  Orestes 

(3)  Family  of  Tyndareus  and  its  connections :  — 

iEolus 
Peneres  Thestius  (§  148  C) 


Icarius  Tyndareus       =       Leda       =       Jupiter 

Penelope  |  |  I  1 

Castor     Cljrtemnestra      Pollux       Helen 

=  (i)  Menelaiis 
=  (2)  Paris 


COMMENTARY. 


481 


Castor  and  Pollux  are  called  sometimes  Dioscuri  (sons  of  Jove),  sometimes 
Tyndarida;  (sons  of  Tyndareus).  Helen  is  frequently  called  Tyndaris,  daugh- 
ter of  Tyndareus. 

(4)  Descent  of  Ulysses  and  Penelope  :  — 


Hcllen 
if^olus 

1 

Pcrieres 

1 

Deion 

1 

1.                         1 
Icarius             Tyndareus 
1                      (Lcda) 
Penelope                 1 

Cephalus 
(Procris) 

Arcesius 

Laertes 

Actor 

1                  1 
(Ulysses)    Castor    Clytenmestra 

Mencctius 
Patroclus 

Telemachns 


Ulysses 


(5)  The  Royal  Family  of  Troy;  — 

Japetus  (Titan) 
Atlas 
Electra  (Pleiad) 


Aurora  =■  Tithonus 


Memnon 
(§  "5) 


Hesione 

(Telamon) 

I 

Teucer 


=  Jupiter      Tencer 
Dardanus      =      Batea 


I 

Erichthonius 

I 

Tros 

I 


iius  n. 

I 

Laomedon 


Hecuba  =  Priam 


Hector  Paris 

Andromache  =  (t)  CEnone 

I  =  (2)  Helen 
Astyanax 


Assaracus 
Capys 

Anchises  =  Venus 

I 

.Sneas  =  Creiisa 

I 

Ascanias 

(lulus) 


Deiphobus      Helenus      Troilus      Cassandra 


Creiisa 
=  i£neas 


Polyzena 


§  166.  C.  S.  Calverley's  The  Sons  of  Leda,  from  Theocritus.  Leda: 
Spenser,  Prothalamion ;    Landor,  Ixiss  of  Memory. 

§  167.  On  the  Iliad  and  on  Troy:  Keats,  Sonnet  on  Chapman's  Homer; 
Milton,  P.  L.  1:578;  9:16;  II  Pens.  100;  Hartley  Coleridge,  Sonnet  on 
Homer;  T.  B.  Aldrich,  Pillared  Arch  and  Sculptured  Tower;  the  Sonnets  of 
Lang  and  Myers  prefixed  to  Lang,  Myers,  and  LeaPs  translation  of  the  Iliad. 


482  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

On  the  Judgment  of  Paris:  George  Peek,  Arraignment  of  Paris;  James 
Beattie,  Judgment  of  Paris;  Tennyson,  Dream  of  Fair  women;  J.  S.  Blackie, 
Judgment  of  Paris.  See,  for  allusions,  Shakespeare,  All's  Well  i  :  2;  1:3; 
Hen.  V.  2:4;  Troil.  and  Cressida  I :  I ;  2:2;  3:1;  Rom.  and  Jul.  i  :  2;  2:4; 
4:1;  5:3.  On  Helen :  A.  Lang,  Helen  of  Troy,  and  his  translation  of 
T/heocritus  XVHI. ;  Lander,  Menelaiis  and  Helen;  G.  P.  Lathrop,  Helen  at 
the  Loom  (Atlantic  Monthly,  Vol.  32,  1873).  See  Shakespeare,  M.  N.  Dream 
I :  I ;  3:2;  4:1;  All's  Well  l :  l ;  1:3;  2:2;  Rom.  and  Jul.  2 : 4;  Troil. 
and  Cressida  2:  2;   Marlowe,  Faustus  (Helen  appears  before  Faust). 

In  Art. — Homer:  the  sketch  by  Raphael  (in  the  Museum,  Venice). 
Paintings:  Sir  Frederick  Leighton,  Helen  of  Troy;  Paris  and  Helen,  by 
David;  The  Judgment  of  Paris,  by  Rubens;  by  Watteau.  Sculpture:  Canova's 
Paris. 

Iphigenia  and  Agamemnon:  On  pp.  288  and  311,  in  accordance  with 
Goethe's  practice,  the  name  Tauris  is  given  to  the  land  of  the  Tauri.  To  be 
correct  one  should  say,  "Iphigenia  among  the  Tauri,"  or  "Taurians."  (See 
Index.')  Iphigenia  and  Agamemnon  by  W.  S.  Landor;  also  his  Shades  of 
Agamemnon  and  Iphigenia;  Dryden,  Cymonand  Iphigenia;  Richard Garnett, 
Iphigenia  in  Delphi;  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  Iphigenia;  W.  B.  Scott,  Iphigenia 
at  Aulis.  Any  translations  of  Goethe's  Iphigenia  in  Tauris,  and  of  Euripides' 
Iphigenia  in  Aulis  and  Among  the  Tauri;  also  of  /Eschylus'  Agamemnon: 
—  such  as  those  by  Anna  Swanwick,  Plumptre,  E,  A.  Morshead,  J.  S. 
Blackie,  E.  Fitzgerald,  and  Robert  Browning.  For  Agamemnon,  see 
Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida  1:3;  2:1;  2:3;  3:3;  4:5;  5:1;  and 
James  Thomson,  Agamemnon  (a  drama).  The  Trollus  and  Cressida  story 
is  not  found  in  Greek  and  Latin  classics.  Shakespeare  follows  Chaucer's 
Troilus  and  Creseide,  which  is  based  upon  the  Filostrato  of  Boccaccio.  On 
Menelaus,  see  notes  to  Helen  and  Agamemnon. 

In  Art.  —  Iphigenia  (paintings):  E.  Hiibner;  William  Kaulbach;  E. 
TeschendorfT. 

§  168.  Achilles.  —  Chaucer,  H.  of  F.  398;  Dethe  of  Blaunche  329;  Lan- 
dor, Peleus  and  Thetis;  Sir  Theodore  Martin,  translation  of  Catullus  LXIV. ; 
Translation  by  C.  M.  Gayley  as  quoted  in  text,  §  165  a.  See  also  Shakespeare, 
Troil.  and  Cressida;   2  Hen.  VI.  5:1;   Love's  L.  L.  5 :  2;   Milton,  P.  L.  9 :  15. 

In  Art.  —  Flaxman,  Fight  for  the  Body  of  Patroclus;  Wiertz  (Wiertz 
Museum,  Brussels),  Fight  for  the  Body  of  Achilles.  Pompeian  wall-paint- 
ings: Chiron  and  Achilles,  Achilles  carried  from  Scyros,  Achilles  bereft  of 
Brisei's;   the  Feast  of  Peleus,  by  Burne- Jones  (picture). 

Ajax. — Plumptre,  Ajax  of  Sophocles.  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida; 
Love's  L.  L.  4:  3;  5:2;  Taming  of  Shrew  3:1;  Ant.  and  Cleo.  4:2;  Lear 
2 :  2;   Cymbel.  4:  2;   George  Crabbe,  The  Village. 


COMMENTARY.  483 

In  Art. — The  ancient  sculpture,  Ajax  (or  Menelaiis)  of  the  Vatican. 
Modern  sculpture,  The  Ajax  of  Canova.  Flaxman's  outline  drawings  for  the 
Iliad. 

Hector  and  Andromache.  —  Mrs.  Browning,  Hector  and  Andromache,  a 
paraphrase  of  Homer;  C.  T.  Brooks,  Schiller's  Parting  of  Hector  and  An- 
dromach*.  See  also  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida;  Love's  L.  L.  5 : 2; 
2  Hen.  I V.  2 : 4;  Ant.  and  Cleo.  4 :  8. 

In  Art.  —  Hector,  Ajax,  Paris,  yEneas,  Patroclus,  Teucer,  etc.,  among  the 
.Egina  Marbles  (Glyptothek,  Munich);  Flaxman's  outline  sketches  of  Hector 
dragged  by  Achilles,  Priam  supphcating  Achilles,  Hector's  Funeral,  An- 
dromache fainting  on  the  walls  of  Troy;  Canova's  (sculpture)  Hector; 
Thorwaldsen's  (relief)  Hector  and  Andromache. 

Priam  and  Hecuba.  —  The  translations  of  Euripides'  Hecuba  and  Troades; 
Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cres.;  Coriol.  1:3;  Cymbel.  4:2;  Hamlet  2:2; 
2  Hen.  IV.  I  :  i. 

§  169.  Polyzena.  —  W.  S.  Landor,  The  Espousals  of  Polyxena.  Philoc- 
tetes:  translation  of  Sophocles  by  Plumptre;  Sonnet  by  Wordsworth ;  Drama 
by  Lord  de  Tabley.  CEnone,  see  A.  Lang's  Helen  of  Troy;  W.  Morris,  Death 
of  Paris  (Earthly  Paradise);  Landor,  Corythos  (son  of  CEnone);  the 
Death  of  Paris  and  CEnone;  Tennyson,  CEnone;  also  the  Death  of  CEnone, 
which  is  not  so  good. 

The  story  of  the  death  of  Corythus,  the  son  of  CEnone  and  Paris,  at  the 
hands  of  his  father,  who  was  jealous  of  Helen's  tenderness  toward  the  youth, 
is  a  later  myth,  but  exquisitely  pathetic. 

Sinon.  —  Shakespeare,  3   Hen.  VI.   3:2;    Cymbel.   3:4;    Titus  Asdron. 

5:3- 

LaocoOn.  —  L.  Morris,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades.  See  Frotbingham's  transla- 
tion of  Lessing's  Laocoon  (a  most  important  discussion  of  the  Laocoon 
group  and  of  principles  of  aesthetics).  See  also  Swift's  Description  of  a  City 
Shower. 

In  Art.  — The  original  of  the  celebrated  group  (statuary)  of  Laocoon  and 
his  children  in  the  embrace  of  the  serpents  is  in  the  Vatican  in  Rome. 

§  170.  Cassandra. — Chaucer,  Troilus  and  Creseide;  Dethe  of  Blaunche, 
1246.  Poems  by  W.  M.  Praed  and  D.  G.  Rossetti.  See  Troil.  and  Cressida 
I  :  I ;   2:2;   5:3;   Lord  Lytton's  translation  of  .Schiller's  Cassandra. 

In  Art.  —  The  Cassandra  of  Dante  Gabriel  Rossetti. 

Orestes  and  Electra. — Translations  of  the  Electra  of  Sophocles,  the 
Libation-pourers  and  the  Eumenides  of  ^flschylus,  by  Plumptre;  and  of  the 
Orestes  and  Electra  of  Euripides,  by  Wodhull.  Lord  de  Tabley,  Orestes  (a 
drama);  Byron,  Childe  Harold  4;  Milton,  sonnet,  "The  repeated  air  of  sad 
Electra's  poet."  etc. 


484  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

In  Art.  —  Graeco-Roman  sculpture:  Orestes  and  Pylades  find  Iphigenia 
among  the  Taurians;  Pompeian  P'resco;  Orestes  and  Electra  (Villa  Ludovisi, 
Rome);  Orestes  and  Electra  (National  Museum,  Naples).  Vase  paintings: 
Orestes  slaying  /Egisthus;  Orestes  at  Delphi;  Purification  of  Orestes.  Mod- 
ern painting :  Electra,  by  Teschendorff,  by  Siefert. 

Clytemnestra,  The  Death  of,  by  W.  S.  Lander;  Clytemnestra,  by  L. 
Morris,  in  the  Epic  of  Hades. 

Troy:  Byron,  in  his  Bride  of  Abydos,  thus  describes  the  appearance  of 
the  deserted  scene  where  once  stood  Troy :  — 

"  The  winds  are  high,  and  Helle's  tide 
Rolls  darkly  heaving  to  the  main; 
And  night's  descending  shadows  hide 

That  field  with  blood  bedewed  in  vain, 
The  desert  of  old  Priam's  pride, 
The  tombs,  sole  relics  of  his  reign, 
All  —  save  immortal  dreams  that  could  beguile 
The  blind  old  man  of  Scio's  rocky  isle." 

On  Troy  the  following  references  will  be  valuable :  Acland,  H.  W.,  The 
Plains  of  Troy,  2  v.  Lond. :  1839;  Schliemann,  H.,  Troy  and  its  Remains, 
Lond. :  1875;  Ilios,  Lond.:  1881;  Troja,  results  of  latest  researches  on  the 
site  of  Homer's  Troy,  Lond.:  1882;  Armstrong,  W.  J.,  Atlantic  Mo.  v. 
33:  173  (1874),  Over  Ilium  and  Ida;  Jebb,  R.  C,  Jour.  Hellenic  Studies  v. 
2:7,  Homeric  and  Hellenic  Ilium;  Fortn.  Rev.,  A'.  S.  35:  4331  (1884), 
Homeric  Troy. 

§  171.  The  Odyssey:  Lang,  Sonnet,  "As  one  that  for  a  weary  space  has 
Iain,"  prefixed  to  Butcher  and  Lang's  Odyssey.  Translations  by  W.  Morris, 
G.  H.  Palmer,  Chapman,  Bryant,  Pope.  Ulysses:  Tennyson;  Landor,  The 
Last  of  Ulysses.  See  also  .Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida;  3  Hen.  VI. 
3:2;  Coriol.  1:3;  Milton,  P.  L.  2:1019;  Gomus  637;  R.  Buchanan, 
Qoudland;   Pope,  Rape  of  Lock  4 :  182. 

In  Art.  —  Ulysses  giving  Wine  to  Polyphemus,  Escaping  from  the  Cave, 
Summoning  Tiresias,  With  the  Sirens,  in  Monuments  Inediis  (Rome  and 
Paris,  1 839-1 878);  Meeting  with  Nausicaa  (Gerhard's  vase  pictures) ;  outline 
drawings  of  Ulysses  weeping  at  the  song  of  Demodocus,  boring  out  the  eye  of 
Polyphemus,  Ulysses  killing  the  suitors.  Mercury  conducting  the  souls  of  the 
suitors,  Ulysses  and  his  dog,  etc.,  by  Flaxman. 

Penelope:  Poems  by  R.  Buchanan,  E.  C.  Stedman,  and  W.  S.  Landor. 
In   ancient   sculpture,  the  Penelope   in    the  Vatican.     Modern   painting   by 

C.  F.  Marchal, 

Circe:    M.  Arnold,  The  Strayed  Reveller;    Hood,  Lycus,  the   Centaur; 

D.  G.  Rossetti,  The  Wine  of  Circe;   Saxe,  The  Spell  of  Circe.     See  Shake- 


COMMENTARY.  485 

speare,  Com.  Errors  5:1;  l  Hen.  VI.  5:3;  Milton,  Comus  50,  153,253, 
522;  Pope,  Satire  8:  166;  Cowper,  Progress  of  Error;  O.  W.  Holmes,  Metri- 
cal Essay;   Keats,  Endymion,  "  I  sue  not  for  my  happy  crown  again,"  etc. 

On  Sirens  and  Scylla  see  §§  52-54  C;  S.  Daniel,  Ulysses  and  the  Siren; 
Lowell,  The  Sirens.  Scylla  antl  Charybdis  have  become  proverbial  to  denote 
opposite  dangers  besetting  one's  course. 

Calypso :  Pope,  Moral  Essays  2  :  45 ;  poem  by  Edgar  Fawcett  (Putnam's 
Mag.  14,  1869).  Fenelon,  in  his  romance  of  Telemachus,  has  given  us  the 
adventures  of  the  son  of  Ulysses  in  search  of  his  father.  Among  other  places 
which  he  visited,  following  on  his  father's  footsteps,  was  Calypso's  isle;  as 
in  the  former  case,  the  goddess  tried  every  art  to  keep  the  youth  with  her, 
and  offered  to  share  her  immortality  with  him.  But  Minerva,  who,  in  the 
shape  of  Mentor,  accompanied  him  and  governed  all  his  movements,  made 
him  repel  her  allurements.  Finally  when  no  other  means  of  escape  could  be 
found,  the  two  friends  leaped  from  a  cliff  into  the  sea,  and  swam  to  a  vessel 
which  lay  becalmed  off  shore.  Byron  alludes  to  this  leap  of  Telemachus  and 
Mentor  in  the  stanza  of  Childe  Harold  beginning,  "  But  not  in  silence  pass 
Calypso's  isles,"  2  :  29.     Calypso's  isle  is  said  to  be  Goza. 

In  Art. — Circe  and  the  Companions  of  Ulysses,  a  painting  by  Briton 
Riviere. 

§  172.  Homer's  description  of  the  ships  of  the  Phaeacians  has  been  thought 
to  look  like  an  anticipation  of  the  wonders  of  modern  steam  navigation.  See 
the  address  of  AlcinoUs  to  Ulysses,  promising  "  wondrous  ships,  self-moved, 
instinct  with  mind,"  etc.,  Od.  Bk.  8. 

Lord  Carlisle,  in  his  Diary  in  the  Turkish  and  Greek  Waters,  thus  speaks 
of  Corfu,  which  he  considers  to  be  the  ancient  Phaeacian  island :  — 

"  The  sites  explain  the  Odyssey.  The  temple  of  the  sea-god  could  not  have 
been  more  fitly  placed,  upon  a  grassy  platform  of  the  most  elastic  turf,  on  the 
brow  of  a  crag  commanding  harbor,  and  channel,  and  ocean.  Just  at  the 
entrance  of  the  inner  harbor  there  is  a  picturesque  rock  with  a  small  convent 
perched  upon  it,  which  by  one  legend  is  the  transformed  pinnace  of  Ulysses. 

"  Almost  the  only  river  in  the  island  is  just  at  the  proper  distance  from  the 
probable  site  of  the  city  and  palace  of  the  king,  to  justify  the  princess  Xau- 
sicaa  having  had  resort  to  her  chariot  and  to  luncheon  when  she  went  with 
the  maidens  of  the  court  to  wash  their  garments." 

§  174.  Poem,  Tennyson,  To  Vergil,  "Roman  Vergil,  thou  that  singest 
Ilion's  lofty  temples,  robed  in  fire,"  etc.  JEneas  and  Anchises:  Chaucer, 
H.  (5f  F.  165;  140-470  (Pictures  of  Troy);  Shakespeare,  Troil.  and  Cressida; 
Tempest,  2:1;  2Hen.  VI.  5:2;  Jul.  Caes.  i :  2;  Ant.  and  Cleo.  4:  2;  Ham- 
let 2:2;  Waller,  Panegyric  to  the  Lord  Protector  (The  Stilling  of  Neptune's 
Storm). 


486  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

In  Art. — The  Vergil  of  Raphael  (drawing  in  the  Museum,  Venice);  the 
^neas  of  the  ^"Egina  Marbles  (Glyptothek,  Munich). 

DidO:  Chaucer,  L.  of  G.  W.  923;  Sir  Thomas  Wyatt,  The  Song  of  lopas 
(unfinished);  Marlowe,  Tragedy  of  Dido,  Queen  of  Carthage;  Shakespeare, 
Ant.  and  Cleo.  4:  12;  Titus  Andron.  2:3;  Hamlet  2:2.  Palinunis:  see 
Scott's  Marmion,  Introd.  to  Canto  I.  (with  reference  to  the  death  of  William 
Pitt). 

In  Art.  —  P.  Guerin's  painting,  .tineas  at  the  Court  of  Dido;  Raphael, 
Dido;  Turner,  Dido  building  Carthage. 

The  Sibyl.  The  following  legend  of  the  Sibyl  is  fixed  at  a  later  date.  In 
the  reign  of  one  of  the  Tarquins  there  appeared  before  the  king  a  woman  who 
offered  him  nine  books  for  sale.  The  king  refused  to  purchase  them,  where- 
upon the.  woman  went  away  and  burned  three  of  the  books,  and  returning 
offered  the  remaining  books  for  the  same  price  she  had  asked  for  the  nine. 
The  king  again  rejected  them;  but  when  the  woman,  after  burning  three 
books  more,  returned  and  asked  for  the  three  remaining  the  same  price  which 
she  had  before  asked  for  the  nine,  his  curiosity  was  excited,  and  he  purchased 
the  books.  They  were  found  to  contain  the  destinies  of  the  Roman  state. 
They  were  kept  in  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus,  preserved  in  a  stone 
chest,  and  allowed  to  be  inspected  only  by  especial  officers  appointed  for  that 
duty,  who  on  great  occasions  consulted  them  and  interpreted  their  oracles  to 
the  people. 

There  were  various  Sibyls;  but  the  Cumaean  Sibyl,  of  whom  Ovid  and  Ver- 
gil write,  is  the  most  celebrated  of  them.  Ovid's  story  of  her  life  protracted 
to  one  thousand  years  may  be  intended  to  represent  the  various  Sibyls  as 
being  only  reappearances  of  one  and  the  same  individual. 

Illustrative.  —  Young,  in  the  Night  Thoughts,  alludes  to  the  Sibyl.  See 
also  Shakespeare,  i  Hen.  VI.  1 :  2;  Othello  3:4. 

In  Art. — The  Sibyls  in  Michael  Angelo's  frescos  in  the  Sistine  Chapel, 
Rome;   the  Cumrean  Sibyl  of  Domenichino;    Elihu  Vedder's  Cumtean  Sibyl. 

§  175.  Rhadamanthus :  E.  W.  Gosse,  The  Island  of  the  Blest.  Tanta- 
lus: Cowper,  The  Progress  of  Error;  L.  Morris,  Epic  of  Hades;  W.  W. 
Storj',  Tantalus.  See  §  107  C.  Ixion:  (§  107  C)  poem  by  Browning  in  Joco- 
seria.  See  Pope,  St.  Cecilia's  Day  67;  Rape  of  Lock  2:133.  Sisyphus: 
(§  107  C)  Lord  Lytton,  Death  and  Sisyphus;   L.  Morris  in  Epic  of  Hades. 

The  teachings  of  Anchises  to  .tineas,  respecting  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul,  were  in  conformity  with  the  doctrines  of  the  Pythagoreans.  Pythagoras 
(born  about  540  B.C.)  was  a  native  of  the  island  of  Samos,  but  passed  the 
chief  portion  of  his  life  at  Crotona  in  Italy.  He  is  therefore  sometimes 
called  "  the  Samian,"  and  sometimes  "  the  philosopher  of  Crotona."  When 
young  he  travelled  extensively,  and  is  said  to  have  visited  Egypt,  where  he  was 


COMMENTAR  Y.  487 

instructed  by  the  priests,  and  to  have  after\vards  journeyed  to  the  East,  where 
he  visited  the  Persian  and  Chaldean  Magi,  and  the  Brahmins  of  India.  He 
established  himself  at  Crotona;  enjoined  sobriety,  temperance,  simplicity,  and 
silence  upon  his  throngs  of  disciples.  Ipse  Dixit  (Pythagoras  said  so)  was  to 
be  held  by  them  as  sufficient  proof  of  anything.  Only  advanced  pupils  might 
question.  Pythagoras  considered  numbers  as  the  essence  and  principle  of  all 
things,  and  attributed  to  them  a  real  and  distinct  existence;  so  that,  in  his 
view,  they  were  the  elements  out  of  which  the  universe  was  constructed. 

As  the  numbers  proceed  from  the  monad  or  unit,  so  he  regarded  the  pure 
and  simple  essence  of  the  Deity  as  the  source  of  all  the  forms  of  nature. 
Gods,  demons,  and  heroes  are  emanations  of  the  Supreme,  and  there  is  a 
fourth  emanation,  the  human  soul.  This  is  immortal,  and  when  freed  from 
the  fetters  of  the  body,  passes  to  the  habitation  of  the  dead,  where  it  remains 
till  it  returns  to  the  world,  to  dwell  in  some  other  human  or  animal  body; 
at  last,  when  sufficiently  purified,  it  returns  to  the  source  from  which  it 
proceeded.  This  doctrine  of  the  transmigration  of  souls  (metempsychosis), 
which  was  originally  Egyptian  and  connected  with  the  doctrine  of  reward  and 
punishment  of  human  actions,  was  the  chief  reason  why  the  Pythagoreans  killed 
no  animals.  Ovid  represents  Pythagoras  saying  that  in  the  time  of  the  Trojan 
War  he  was  Euphorbus,  the  son  of  Panthus,  and  fell  by  the  spear  of  Menelaiis. 
Lately,  he  said,  he  had  recognized  his  shield  hanging  among  the  trophies  in 
the  Temple  of  Juno  at  Argos. 

On  Metempsychosis,  see  the  essay  in  the  Spectator  (No.  343)  on  the 
Transmigration  of  .Souls;    Shakespeare,  M.  of  Venice  (Gratiano  to  Shylock). 

Harmony  of  the  Spheres.  — The  relation  of  the  notes  of  the  musical  scale 
to  numbers,  whereby  harmony  results  from  proportional  vibrations  of  sound, 
and  discord  from  the  reverse,  led  Pythagoras  to  apply  the  word  "  harmony  " 
to  the  visible  creation,  meaning  by  it  the  just  adaptation  of  parts  to  each 
other.  This  is  the  idea  which  Dryden  expresses  in  the  beginning  of  his  song 
for  St.  Cecilia's  Day,  "  From  harmony,  from  heavenly  harmony.  This  everlast- 
ing frame  began." 

In  the  centre  of  the  universe  (as  Pythagoras  taught)  there  was  a  central 
fire,  the  principle  of  life.  The  central  fire  was  surrounded  by  the  earth,  the 
moon,  the  sun,  and  the  five  planets.  The  distances  of  the  various  heavenly 
bodies  from  one  another  were  conceived  to  correspond  to  the  proportions  of 
the  musical  scale.  See  M.  of  Venice,  Act  V.  (I^orenzo  and  Jessica),  for  the 
Music  of  the  Spheres;  also  Milton,  Hymn  to  the  Nativity.  See  Longfellow's 
Verses  to  a  Child,  and  Occultation  of  Orion,  for  Pythagoras  as  inventor  of  the 
lyre. 

§  176.  Camilla. — Pope,  illustrating  the  rule  that  "the  sound  should  be 
an  echo  to  the  sense,"  says,  — 


488  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

"  When  Ajax  strives  some  rock's  vast  weight  to  throw. 
The  line,  too,  labors  and  the  words  move  slow. 
Not  so  when  swift  Camilla  scours  the  plain, 
Flies  o'er  th'  unbending  corn  or  skims  along  the  main." 

—  Essay  on  Criticism, 

§§  I77~l84.  On  Norse  mythology,  see  R.  B.  Anderson's  Norse  Mythology, 
or  the  Religion  of  our  Forefathers,  Chicago:  1875;  Anderson's  Horn's  Scan- 
dinavian Literature  (S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.),  Chicago:  1884;  Dasent's  Popular 
Tales  from  the  Norse  (transl.  from  P.  C.  Asbjornsen),  N.  Y. :  1859;  Thorpe's 
translation  of  Ssemund's  Edda,  2  v.,  Lend. :  1866  ;  Icelandic  Poetry  or  Edda 
of  Seemund  transl.  into  English  verse,  A.  S.  Cottle,  Bristol:  1797;  Augusta 
Larned's  Tales  from  the  Norse  Grandmother,  N.  Y. :  1881;  H.  \Y.  Mabie's 
Norse  Stories,  Boston:  1882.  A  critical  edition  of  the  Elder  Edda  is  So- 
phus  Bugge's,  Christiana :  1867.  The  Younger  Edda :  Edda  Snorra  Sturla- 
sonar,  2  v.  Hefniae,  1848-52,  by  Thorleif  Jonsson,  Copenhagen  :  1875  ;  Trans- 
lation :  Anderson's  Younger  Edda  (S.  C.  Griggs  &  Co.),  Chicago:  1880 
(see  references  at  foot  of  pp.  30-33  and  in  §  185  C).  Illustrative  poems: 
Gray,  Ode  on  the  Descent  of  Odin,  Ode  on  the  Fatal  Sisters;  Matthew 
Arnold's  Balder  Dead;  Longfellow's  Tegner's  Drapa,  on  Balder's  Death; 
The  Funeral  of  Balder,  by  William  Morris,  in  The  Lovers  of  Godrun  (Earthly 
Paradise);  Robert  Buchanan's  Balder  the  Beautiful;  W.  M.  W.  Call,  Balder, 
and  Thor.  Sydney  Dobell's  Balder  does  not  rehearse  the  Norse  myth.  It  is 
a  poem  dealing  with  the  spiritual  maladies  of  the  time,  of  wonderful  excellence 
in  parts,  but  confused  and  uneven.  Longfellow's  Saga  of  King  Olaf  (the 
Musician's  Tale,  Wayside  Inn)  is  from  the  Heimskringla  or  Book  of  Stories 
of  the  Kings,  edited  by  Snorri  Sturlason.  Many  of  the  cantos  of  the  Saga 
throw  light  on  Norse  mythology.  See  also  the  Hon.  Roden  Noel's  Ragnarok 
(in  the  Modern  Faust),  for  an  ethical  modification  of  the  ancient  theme. 

Anses  (the  Asa-folk,  JEsir,  etc.),  — The  word  probably  means  g^ost,  ances- 
tral spirit,  —  of  such  kind  as  the  Manes  of  the  Romans.  The  derivation  may 
be  from  the  root  AN,  to  breathe,  whence  animus  (Vigfusson  and  Powell, 
Corp.  Poet.  1:515).  According  to  Jordanes,  the  Anses  were  demigods, 
ancestors  of  royal  races.  The  main  cult  of  the  older  religion  was  ancestor- 
worship,  Thor  and  Woden  being  worshipped  by  a  tribe,  but  each  family  having 
its  own  anses,  or  deified  ancestors  (Corp.  Poet.  2:413).  Elf  was  another 
name  used  of  spirits  of  the  dead.  Later  it  sinks  to  the  significance  of  "  fairy." 
Indeed,  say  Vigfusson  and  Powell,  half  our  ideas  about  fairies  are  derived  from 
the  heathen  beliefs  as  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead,  their  purity,  kindliness,  homes 
in  hillocks  (cf.  the  Irish  "  folk  of  the  hills,"  Banshees,  etc.)  (Corp.  Poet.  2 :  418). 
The  Norse  Religion  consists  evidently  of  two  distinct  strata :  the  lower,  of 
gods,  that  are  personifications  of  natural  forces,  or  deified  heroes,  with  regu- 


COMMENTARY.  489 

lar  sacrifices,  with  belief  in  ghosts,  etc.;  the  upper,  of  doctrines  introduced 
by  Christianity.  To  the  latter  belong  the  Last  Battle  to  be  fought  by  Warrior- 
Angels  and  the  Elect  against  the  Beast,  the  Dragon,  and  the  Demons  of 
Fire  (Corp.  Poet.  2:459). 

Odin  or  Woden  was  first  the  god  of  the  heaven,  or  heaven  itself,  then  hus- 
band of  earth,  god  of  war  and  of  wisdom,  lord  of  the  ravens,  lord  of  the  gallows 
(which  was  called  Woden's  tree  or  Woden's  steed).  Frigga  is  Mother  Earth. 
Thor  is  the  lord  of  the  hammer  —  the  thunderbolt,  the  adversary  of  giants  and 
all  oppressors  of  man.  He  is  dear  to  man,  always  connected  with  earth,  — 
the  husband  of  Sif  (the  Norse  Ceres).  His  goat-drawn  car  makes  the 
rumbling  of  the  thunder.  Freyr  means  lord ;  patron  of  the  Swedes,  harvest- 
god.  Balder  means  also  lord  or  king.  On  the  one  hand,  his  attributes  recall 
those  of  Apollo;  on  the  other  hand,  his  story  appeals  to,  and  is  colored  by, 
the  Christian  imagination.  He  is  another  figure  of  that  radiant  type  to  which 
belong  all  bright  and  genial  heroes,  righters  of  wrong,  blazing  to  consume 
evil,  gentle  and  strong  to  uplift  weakness :  Apollo,  Hercules,  Perseus,  Achilles, 
Sigurd,  St.  George,  and  many  another.      Hoder  is  the  "  adversary." 

Nanna,  Balder's  wife,  is  the  ensample  of  constancy;  her  name  is  maiden. 

§  185.  The  Volsunga  Saga.  —  The  songs  of  the  Elder  Edda,  from  which 
Eirikr  Magndsson  and  Willam  Morris  draw  their  admirable  Story  of  the  Vol- 
sungs  and  the  Niblungs  (London,  1870),  are  The  Lay  of  Helgi  Hundmg's- 
Bane,  The  Lay  of  Sigrdrifa,  The  Short  Lay  of  Sigurd,  The  Hell-Ride  of 
Brynhild,  The  Lay  of  Brynhild,  The  Ancient  Lay  of  Gudrun,  The  Song  of 
Atli,  The  Whetting  of  Gudrun,  The  Lay  of  Hamdir,  The  Lament  of  Oddrun. 
For  translations  of  these  fragments,  see  pp.  167-270  of  the  volume  mentioned 
above.  For  the  originals  and  literal  translations  of  these  and  other  Norse 
lays  of  importance,  see  Vigfusson  and  Powell's  Corpus  Poeticum  Boreale ; 
and  Vigfusson's  Sturlunga  Saga,  2  vols.  For  the  story  of  Sigurd,  read  William 
Morris'  admirable  and  spirited  epic,  Sigurd  the  Volsung.  Illustrative  of  the 
Norse  Spirit  are  Motherwell's  Battle-Flag  of  Sigurd,  the  Wooing  Song  of 
Jarl  Egill  Skallagrim,  and  the  Sword  Chant  of  Thorstein  Raudi;  also  Dora 
Greenwell's  Battle-Flag  of  Sigurd;  and  Charles  Kingsley's  Longbeard's  Saga, 
in  Hypatia. 

The  Nibelungenlied.  —  The  little  book  entitled  Echoes  from  Mist  Land, 
by  Auber  Forestier  (Griggs  &  Co.,  Chicago,  1877)  will  be  of  value  to  the 
beginner.  Other  translations  are  made  by  A.  G.  Foster-Barham  (Lond. : 
1887)  and  by  W.  N.  Lettsom,  The  Fall  of  the  Nibelungers  (Lond.:  1874), 
both  in  verse.  See  also  T.  Carlyle,  Nibelungenlied  (Crit.  Miscell.)  Essays, 
2 :  220.  Modern  German  editions  by  Simrock,  Bartsch,  Marbach,  and  Ger- 
lach  are  procurable.  The  edition  by  Werner  Hahn  (Uebersetzung  d.  Hand- 
schrift  A,  Collection  Spemann  Berlin  u.  Stuttgart)  has  been  used  in  the  prepa- 


490  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

ration  of  this  account.  The  original  was  published  in  part  by  Bodmer  in 
1757;  later,  in  full  by  C.  H.  Myller,  by  K.  K.  Lachmann,  Nibelunge  Not 
mit  der  Klage,  1826;  by  K.  F.  Bartsch,  Der  Nibelunge  Not,  2  v.  in  3,  1870- 
1880,  and  in  PfeifTer's  Deutsch.  Classik.  des  Mittelalt.  v.  3,  1872;  and  by 
others  (see  James  Sime's  Nibelungenlied,  Encyc.  Brit.).  Of  marvellous 
artistic  and  antiquarian  worth  were  Dr.  W.  Jordan's  Studies  and  Recitations 
of  the  Nibelunge,  which  comprised  the  Siegfried  Saga,  and  Hildebrandt's 
Return.  Especially  of  artistic  value  is  Richard  Wagner's  series  of  operas, 
The  Ring  of  the  Nibelungs,  finished  in  1876.  The  composer  is  responsible 
not  only  for  the  musical  score,  but  for  the  text  and  scenic  arrangements  of 
four  of  the  grandest  musical  dramas  that  the  world  has  possessed :  Rhine- 
Gold,  Siegfried,  The  Valkyries,  and  The  Twilight  of  the  Gods.  In  painting, 
especially  famous  are  Schnorr  von  Carolsfeld's  wall-pictures  illustrative  of  the 
Nibelungenlied,  in  the  royal  palace  at  Munich;  also  the  illustrations  of  the 
four  operas  by  J.  Hoffmann,  and  by  Th.  Pixis. 

§§  185,  186.  Historically:  Siegfried  has  been  identified,  variously,  with 
(i)  the  great  German  warrior  Arminius  (or  Hermann),  the  son  of  Sigimer, 
chief  of  the  tribe  of  the  Cherusci,  who  inhabited  the  southern  part  of  what  is 
now  Hanover  and  Brunswick;  born  18  B.C.  and  trained  in  the  Roman  army, 
in  the  year  9  ad.  he  overcame  with  fearful  slaughter  the  Roman  tyrants  of 
Germany,  defeating  the  Roman  commander  Varus  and  his  legions  in  the 
Teutoburg  Forest  in  the  Valley  of  the  Lippe;  (2)  Sigibert,  king  of  the 
Ripuarian  Franks,  who  in  508  A.D.  was  treacherously  slain  while  taking  a 
mid-day  nap  in  the  forest;  (3)  Sigibert,  king  of  the  Austrasian  Franks  whose 
history  recalls  more  than  one  event  of  the  Sigurd  and  Siegfried  stories;  for 
he  discovered  a  treasure,  fought  with  and  overcame  foreign  nations,  the  Huns, 
the  Saxons,  the  Danes,  and  finally  in  consequence  of  a  quarrel  between  his 
wife  Brunhilde  and  his  sister-in-law  Fredegunde,  was,  in  576  a.d.  assassinated 
by  the  retainers  of  the  latter;  (4)  Julius,  or  Claudius  Civilis,  the  leader  of 
the  Batavi  in  the  revolt  against  Rome,  69-70  a.d.  It  is  probable  that  in 
Sigurd  and  Siegfried  we  have  recollections  combined  of  two  or  more  of 
these  historic  characters. 

Mythologically,  —  Sigurd  (of  the  shining  eyes  that  no  man  might  face 
unabashed)  has  been  regarded  as  a  reflection  of  the  god  Balder. 

Gunnar  and  Ounther  are,  historically,  recogpized  in  a  slightly  known 
king  of  the  Burgundians,  Gundicar,  who  w^th  his  people  was  overwhelmed  by 
the  Huns  in  437  a.d. 

Atli  and  Etzel  are  poetic  idealizations  of  the  renowned  Hunnish  chieftain, 
Attila,  who  united  under  his  rule  the  German  and  Slavonic  nations,  ravaged 
the  Eastern  Roman  Empire  between  445  and  450  A.D.,  and,  invading  the 
Western  Empire,  was  defeated  by  the  Romans  in  the  great  battle  of  Chalons 
sfir  Marne,  451.     He  died  454  A.D. 


COMMENTARY.  491 

Dietrich  of  Berne  (Verona)  bears  some  very  slight  resemblance  to  Theo- 
doric,  the  Ostrogoth,  who,  between  493  and  526  A.U.,  ruled  from  Italy  what 
had  been  the  Western  Empire.  In  these  poems,  however,  his  earlier  illus- 
trious career  is  overlooked;  he  is  merely  a  refugee  in  the  court  of  the  Hun- 
nish  king;  and,  even  so,  is  confounded  with  uncles  of  his  who  had  been 
retainers  of  Attila :  for  the  historic  Theodoric  was  not  born  until  two  years 
after  the  historic  Attila's  death. 

These  historic  figures  were,  of  course,  merely  suggestions  for,  or  contribu- 
tions to,  the  great  heroes  of  the  epics,  not  prototypes;  the  same  is  true  of 
any  apparently  confirmed  historic  forerunners  of  Brynhild,  or  Gudrun,  or 
Kriemhild.  The  mythological  connection  of  these  epics  with  the  Norse  myths 
of  the  seasons,  Sigurd  being  Balder  of  the  spring,  and  Hogni  Hoder  of  win- 
ter and  darkness,  is  ingenious;  but,  except  as  reminding  us  of  the  mythic 
material  which  the  bards  were  likely  to  recall  and  utilize,  it  is  not  of  material 
worth. 

In  the  Xorse  versiow,  the  name  Niblung  is  interchangeable  with  the 
patronymic  Giuking,  — it  is  the  name  of  the  family  that  ruins  Sigurd.  But,  in 
the  German  version,  the  name  is  of  purely  mythical  import :  the  Nibelungs  are 
not  a  human  race;  none  but  Siegfried  may  have  intercourse  with  them.  The 
land  of  the  Nibelungs  is  equally  vague  in  the  German  poem;  it  is  at  one  time 
an  island,  again  a  mountain,  and  in  one  manuscript  it  is  confounded  with  Nor- 
way. But  mythically  it  is  connected  with  Niflheim,  the  kingdom  of  Hela,  the 
shadow7  realm  of  death.  The  earth,  that  gathers  to  her  bosom  the  dead, 
cherishes  also  in  her  bosom  the  hoard  of  gold.  Naturally,  therefore,  the  hoard 
is  guarded  by  Alberic,  the  dwarf,  for  dwarfs  have  always  preferred  the 
underworld.  So  (according  to  Werner  Hahn,  and  others)  there  is  a  deep 
mythical  meaning  in  the  I^y  of  the  Nibelungs:  beings  that  dwell  far  from  the 
light  of  day;  or  that,  possessing  the  riches  of  mortality,  march  toward  th« 
land  of  death. 


A   FEW 

RULES    FOR  THE  ENGLISH   PRONUNCIATION 

OF 

GREEK   AND    LATIN    PROPER   NAMES. 


[  These  rules  tvill  cm>er  most  cases,  but  they  are  not  intended  to  exiiaust  the  subject. 
The  reader  is  re/erred  to  the  Latin  grammars  and  the  English  dictionaries-^ 


I.  Quantity. — The  reader  must  first  ascertain  whether  the  second  last 
syllable  of  the  word  is  long.     In  general  a  syllable  is  long  in  quantity : 

(i)  If  it  contain  a  diphthong,  or  a  long  vowel :  ^aM-cis,  Ac-to^-on,  J/?-tis, 
0-r«-on,  Fld-xz.. 

(2)  If  its  vowel,  whether  long  or  short,  is  followed  by  y,  x,  or  z,  or  by  any 
two  consonants  except  a  mute  and  a  liquid :  .^'-jax,  Meg-a-^a-zus,  A-aVax'-tus. 

A'ote  {a).  —  Sometimes  two  vowels  come  together  without  forming  a 
diphthong.  In  such  cases  the  diaeresis  is,  in  this  volume,  used  to  indicate 
the  division;  e^.  Men-e-la'/Vj,  Pe-ne'««. 

A'ote  (i).  — The  syllable  formed  by  a  short  vowel  before  a  mute  with  /  or  r, 
is  sometimes  long  and  sometimes  short;  e.g.  Cle-O'/J'-tra,  or  Cle-op'-a-tra; 
Pa-/r5'-clus,  or  Pat'-r5-clus. 

II.  Accent. — 

(1)  The  accent  may  be  principal,  or  subordinate :  HelMes  pon'-tus. 

(2)  The  principal  accent  falls  on  the  second  last  syllable  { penult)  :  Am- 
phi-tri'-te;  or  on  the  third  last  syllable  {antepenult)  :  Am-pbit'-ry-on. 

(a)  In  words  of  two  syllables,  it  falls  on  the  penu/t:  Cir'-ce. 
(i)   In  words  of  more  than  two  syllables,  it  falls  on  the  penult  when  that 
syllable  is  long;   otherwise,  on  the  antepenult:  /E-ne'-as,  Her'-cu-les. 

(3)  The  subordinate  accent : 

(a)  If  only  two  syllables  precede  the  principal  accent,  the  subordinate 
accent  falls  on  the  first  syllable  of  the  word :  //</--A'-cre'ne. 

{h)  If  more  than  two  syllables  precede  the  principal  accent,  the  laws  gov- 
erning the  principal  accent  apply  to  those  preceding  syllables :   CaAji-t>-pe'-a. 


494  CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

Note.  —  In  the  Index  of  this  work,  when  tht  penuli  of  a  word  is  long,  it  is 
marked  with  the  accent ;  when  the  penult  is  short,  the  antepemilt  is  marked. 
The  reader  should,  however,  bear  in  mind  that  a  syllable  may  be  long  even 
though  it  contain  a  short  vowel,  as  by  Rule  I.,  (2),  above. 

III.  Vowels  and  Consonants.  —  (These  rules  depend  upon  those  of  Syllabi- 
cation) : 

(i)  A  vowel  generally  has  its  long  English  sound  when  it  ends  a  syllable : 
He'-ro,  I'-o,  Ca'•c\^s,  I-tho'-me,  E-do'-ni,  My-ce'-mc. 

(2)  A  vowel  generally  has  its  short  English  sound  in  a  syllable  that  ends  in 
a  consonant :  Her'-st,  Sis'-y-phus,  Pol-y-phe'-mus.  But  e  in  the  termination 
es  has  its  long  sound :  Hev'/nes,  A-tn'-des. 

(3)  The  vowel  a  has  an  obscure  sound  when  it  ends  an  unaccented  syllable  : 
A-chx'-a;  so,  also,  the  vowel  i  ot  y,  not  final,  after  an  accented  syllable: 
Hes-per'-i-des;  and  sometimes  i  or^in  an  unaccented  first  syllable :  O-lic'-i-a. 

(4)  Consonants  have  their  usual  English  sounds;  but  c  and  g  are  soft 
before^,  i,y,  a,  and  as:  Ce'-to,  Ger' -y-on,  Gy'-ges;  ch  has  the  sound  of  k: 
CAi'-os;  and  c,  s,  and  /,  immediately  preceded  by  the  accent,  and  standing 
before  /,  followed  by  another  vowel,  commonly  have  the  sound  of  s/t :  Sic' -y-on 
(but  see  Latin  grammars  and  English  dictionaries  for  exceptions.) 

IV.  Syllabication.  — 

(i)  The  penultimate  syllable  ends  with  a  vowel;  eg.  Te-ne'-us,  l-t/to'-me, 
A^-ttCMS,  Hel'^-nus: 

Except  when  its  vowel  is  followed  by  x  or  by  two  consonants  (not  a  mute 
with  /or  r),  then  the  vowel  is  joined  with  the  succeeding  consonant: 
Nax-os>,  Cir-ce,  Aga.-mem-non. 

(2)  Other  syllables  (not  ultimate  or  penultimate)  end  with  a  vowel;  e.g. 
/V-KE-us : 

Except  when  (a)  the  vowel  is  followed  by  x  or  any  two  consonants  (not  a 
mute  with  /or  r)  :  e.g.  Zr-i'-on,  Pel-o-/o«-ne'-sus;  and  when  (b)  the  syllable 
is  accented  and  its  vowel  followed  by  one  or  more  consonants;  e.g.  An^-z\- 
a^-o-T2&,  Axa-phic' -ty-on. 

Note  (o).  —  But  an  accented  a,  e,  or  0  before  a  single  consonant  (or  a  mute 
with  /  or  r),  followed  by  e,  i,  or  y  before  another  vowel,  is  not  joined  with  the 
succeeding  consonant,  and  consequently  has  the  long  sound:  Pau-^rt'-ni-as; 
De-»«^'-tri-us. 

Note  (b).  —  An  accented  u  before  a  single  consonant  (or  mute  \vith  /  or  r) 
is  not  joined  with  the  succeeding  consonant,  and  consequently  has  the  long 
sound :  ^w'-pi-ter. 


INDEX   OF   MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS 

AND  THEIR   SOURCES. 


[Unless  otherwise  stated,  references  are  to  pages  of  the  Text.  Section  numbers, /r*- 
ceded  hy  Com.,  refer  to  the  textual.,  interpretative  and  illustrative  notes  of  the  Commen- 
tary.    The  sections  correspond  with  those  of  the  Tejrt.] 


A'bas,  225. 

Absyr'tus,  246;  Com.  §§  144-147  (II- 
lustr.), 

Aby'dos,  66,  164;   Com.  ^  40. 

Ab'yla,  237. 

Aces'tes,  361. 

Ace'tes,  174 ;  the  vengeance  of  Bacchus, 
176-178. 

Achag'ans,  their  origin,  49,  125,  236; 
Com.  ^  132  (2). 

Acha'tes,  359. 

Achelo'iis,  myth  of,  221 ;   Co/ii.  ^  131. 

Ach'eron,  78. 

Achil'les,  102,  199,  254;  his  descent, 
278-281 ;  in  the  Trojan  War,  284-304; 
in  Scyros,  286;  wrath  of  A.,  290;  A. 
and  Patroclus,  293;  remorse  of  A., 
296 ;  reconciliation  with  Agamemnon, 
297 ;  slays  Hector  and  drags  his  body, 
298-300 ;  A.  and  Priam,  301, 302;  death 
of  A.,  303,  304;  Com,  §§  165  (i)  gene- 
alogy ;  168. 

A'cis,  215-217  ;   Com.  ^  126. 

A'con,  Com.  §  123. 

Acon'tius,  Com.  ^  66. 

Acris'ius,  27,  225;  the  doom  of,  225- 
231 ;   Com.  §§  133-137. 

Acrocerau'nian  Mountains,  142;  Com. 
§  88. 

ActJE'on,  117;  myth  of,  145,  146,  269; 
Com.  §$  61,  geneal.  table  E;  89. 

Adme'ta,  236. 


Adme'tus,  130;    Lowell's  Shepherd  of 

King  A.,   131,   132;    A.  and   Alcestis, 

132-136,  245 ;   Com.  §§  80,  81. 
Ado'nis,  myth  of,  150, 151 ;  Lang's  transl. 

of  Bion's  Lament  for  Adonis,  151, 152 ; 

Com.  ^  93. 
Adraste'a,  39. 
Adras'tus,  272,  273. 
.iE'acus,  81,  83,  84;    king  of  .iEgina,  100, 

255.277;   (^"tn.  {  165  (i). 
Ai-je'a,  isle  of,  318. 

.(E-e'tes,  244,  246;  genealogy  Com.  §  149, 
.^'gas,  palace  of  Neptune,  near,  85. 
.<Eg3e'on,  Com.  §  17. 
/Ege'an  Sea,  196. 
^'geus,  244,  259,  261,  265;  Com.  §§  63, 

132  (4),  151. 
.Egi'na,  island  of,  83;  daughter  of  Aso- 

pus,  myth  of,  92,  100-102;   plague  of 

the  island,  100-102,  189 ;   Com.  §  63. 
.^'gis,  56;  the  Gorgon's  head,  231. 
.(Egis'thus,  281,   310;     Com.    §  165    (2) 

genealogy,  §  170. 
^'E'gon,  203;   Com.  §  116. 
.(Egyp'tus,  224;   Com.  §^  133-137- 
.^ne'as,  28,  150,  273,  287,  296, 298 ;   Com. 

$165(5)  genealogy;   §§174-177;   see 

iEneid. 
^ne'as  Syl'vius,.  king  of  Alba  Longa, 

third  in  descent  f^om  /Eneas. 
iEneid,  the  narrative  of,  338-365 ;  from 

Troy  to  Italy,  the  departure  from  Troy, 

495 


496 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


338;  the  promised  empire,  the  Har- 
pies, 339 ;  Epirus,  the  Cyclopes,  340 ; 
the  resentment  of  Juno,  340;  the  so- 
journ at  Carthage,  Dido,  342 ;  Palinu- 
rus,  Italy  at  last,  343;  the  Sibyl  of 
Cumae,  344;  the  Infernal  Regions, 346; 
the  Elysian  Fields,  350 ;  the  Valley  of 
Oblivion,  351 ;  war  between  'I'rojans 
and  Latins,  354-365;  gates  of  Janus 
opened,  355;  Camilla,  356;  alliance  with 
Evander,  357;  infant  Rome,  358;  Nisus 
and  Euryalus,  360-363 ;  death  of  Me- 
zentius,363;  of  Pallas  and  Camilla,  364; 
the  final  conflict,  365 ;  Com.  ^^J  174-177. 

^o'lia,  73. 

iE'olus.  of  Thessaly,  224;  myths  of  fam- 
ily, 244-249 ;  quest  of  Golden  Fleece, 
244-247 ;     connection     with     Medea, 

•  247-249,317,318;  60//;.  $§  118,  132(5) 
geneal.  table  I. 

.if  olus  (wind-god)  described,  73,  190, 
194,  196,  341 ;  Com.  §  113  (5)  geneal. 
table  I. 

A-er'ope,  281;  genealogy,  Com.  ^  149, 
165(2). 

.iEs'chylus,  27;  references  to,  273,  310; 
transl.  Com.  ^11. 

iEscula'pius,  attributes  of,  72;  myth  of, 
130,  268,  293;   Com.  §^  43  (8),  79. 

.^se'pus,  199. 

JE'son,  244,  247;  Com.  }}  144-147  (II- 
lustr.). 

.iCsop,  2. 

.^E'ther,  37,  or  Light,  38. 

iEthio'pia,  74,  75,  1S4,  199,  228. 

.^'thra,  259;  Coin.  §§  151, 165  (2)  gene- 
alogy. 

.^t'na,  Motmt,  124,  181 ;   Com.  ^  75. 

JE\o'\\A,  250. 

.^to'lus,  224;  the  family  of,  the  Calydo- 
nian  hunt,  250-254;  Com.  }}  132(3), 
132(5),  148. 

Africa,  342. 

Agamem  'non,  4,  27,  125  ;  his  family,  281 ; 
in  the  Trojan  War,  284-302;  quarre 
with  Achilles,  290 ;  reconciliation,  297 ; 
return  to  Greece,  and  death,  310 ;  Com. 
§  165  (2)  genealogy ;  §  167. 

Aga've,  117,  175,  178,  269;  Com.  {§59, 
158,  genealogy. 


Age  of  Gold,  43. 

Age'nor  (father  of  Cadmus),    114,  223, 

224;  genealogy.  Com.  J  J  59,  132,  133; 

son  of  Priam,  298. 
Agla'ia  (trisyl.),  or  Agla'-i-a,  one  of  the 

Graces,  71 ;  wife  of  Vulcan,  59. 
Aglau'ros,   daughter   of    Cecrops;    see 

Herse ;  Com.  ^  151. 
Agni;  see  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 
Agrot'era,  Com.  ^  39;  see  Diana. 
Ahriman,  36. 
A'jax,  254,  287,  292,  295,  296,  304;    Com. 

^  165  (i)  genealogy;  168. 
Alba  Longa,  365. 
Alcae'us,  26. 
Alces'tis,  27,    132-136,   241,   245;     Com. 

§81. 
Alci'des,   242;     Com.  ^^   139-143    (text- 
ual) ;  genealogy  133,  table  J. 
Alcin'oiis,  324,  328. 
Alcmae'on,  276. 
.^Icme'ne,  91 ;  myth  of,  234;  mentioned, 

133- 

Alcy'oneus,  41 ;  see  under  Giants. 

Alec'to,  84,  353. 

Ale'I-an,  the  field,  233;   Com.  J  138. 

Alexan'der;  see  Paris. 

Alfadur,  368,  389,  398  ;  see  Odin. 

Alo'adae,  or  Alo-i'das;  see  Aloeus. 

Alo'as,  or  Alo'eus,  120. 

Alphe'nor,  127. 

Alphe'iis,    142-145,    183,    236;     Com. 
$88. 

Althas'a,  250-254,  281 ;   Com.  §  148. 

Amalthe  a,  39;    Com.  §  131. 

Ama'ta,  355. 

Am'athus,  150, 172;   Com.  §  93. 

Ambro'sia,  Com.  $  75. 

Amase'nus,  river,  356. 

Am'azons,  and  Hercules,  236 ;  and  The- 
seus, 267,  303,  306;  Com.  $$139-143 
(Illustr.)  ;  $$  152-157  (Interpret.). 

Am'mon  (Jupiter  Ammon),  temple  and 
oracle  of,  53;  Com.  §  131;  see  Egyp- 
tian deities. 

A'mor;  see  Cupid. 

Amphiara'iis,   23,   252,   273-276;      Com. 

§  132(5). 
Amphirochus,  276. 
Amphi'on,  24;    myth  of,  102;  from  Ten- 


INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


497 


nyson's  Amphion,  102-IC4;  126,  128, 
223 ;   Com.  \  64. 

Amphitrite,  the  Nereid,  wife  of  Nep- 
tune, 26,  85,  215. 

Amphit'ryon,  234. 

Amphry'sus,  river,  130. 

Amymo'ne,  190,  235;   Com.  $  109. 

Anac'reon,  26. 

Anadyom'ene  (rising  from  the  water), 
(om.  \  40;  see  Venus. 

Anaxar'ete,  213. 

Ancce'us,  252. 

Ancestor-worship  in  China,  9. 

Anchi'ses.  150,  287,  338,  344,  350-3S2; 
Com.  ^  165  (5) ;  ^  175. 

Anci'le,  Com.  \  36. 

Andrai'mon,  210. 

Andro'geiis,  261. 

Andronj'ache,  287,300,340;   C<J»».  §  168. 

Androm'eda,  i8g ;  and  Perseus,  228-231 ; 
lines  from  Kingsley's  Andromeda,  229, 
234;   Com.^i^  133-137- 

Andvari,  395,  397,  398,  399. 

Angerbode,  380. 

An'ses  (Aesir,  Asa-folk),  367;  Com. 
\^  177-184. 

AntEK'us,  190,  238. 

Ante 'a,  233. 

An'teros,  70. 

Antheste'ria;   Com.  \^  46,  102,  103. 

Anthology,  Greek,  transl.  Com.  \  w. 

Anthropological  method,  14. 

Antigone.  271-276;   Com.  \\  158-164. 

Antil'ochub,  199,  296. 

Anti'ojje,  (i)  daughter  of  Asopus,  92; 
myth  of,  102-104 ;  Com.  \  63 ;  (2)  wife 
of  Theseus.  Com.  \  151. 

Anto'res,  363. 

Anu'bis;  see  Elgyptian  deities. 

Ajjel'les  :  a  Greek  painter  of  the  time  of 
Alexander  the  Great ;  see  John  Lyly's 
Alexander  and  Campaspe. 

Aphrodi'te  (foam-bom)  ;  see  Venus. 

A 'pis;  see  Egyptian  Divinities;  oracle 
of.  Com.  \  38. 

Apol'lo,  Phoebus.  4,6;  Ruskin  on  the  sun- 
myth,  7.  17;  A.  and  Daphne,  mvth  of, 
138;  explained,  10,  Com.  ^  85;  identi- 
fied with  Tubalcain,23 ;  and  his  Ivre,  51 ; 
son  of  Latona,  52 ;  attributes  of,  59-63; 


meaning  of  his  names,  59;  among  tlie 
Hyperboreans,  the  Delphians,  his  vic- 
tory over  Python,  60;  the  Pythian 
games,  his  oracles,  his  patronage  of 
music,  etc.,  61 ;  hymn  of  Apollo  by 
Shelley,  61-63,  91 ;  myths  of  Apollo, 
118-141 ;  the  Paean  of  victory,  119 ;  vic- 
tory over  Tityus,  and  the  Aloada;,  lao; 
A.  and  Hyacinthus,  120;  and  Phaeton, 
121 ;  A.  destroys  the  Greeks  before 
Troy,  125;  and  Niobe,  126;  A.,  Psa- 
mathe,  and  Linus,  129;  Coronis  and 
^.'Esculapius,  130;  and  Cyclopes,  130; 
A.  in  exile  serves  Admetus,  130 ;  Ix)w- 
ell's  Shepherd  of  King  Admetus,  131 ; 
A.  and  Laomedon,  136;  as  a  musi- 
cian. Pan,  Midas,  136,  137;  Shelley's 
Hymn  of  Pan,  137, 138;  loves  of  A.,  Cal- 
liope, Cyrene,  Daphne,  138;  Lowell's 
lines  upon  Daphne,  140;  Clytie,  141; 
and  Orion,  146;  ^nd  Mercury,  172, 
173,  189,  195,  198^^00,  214,  220,  234, 
258,  290,  293,  296.  297,  329,  344,  352, 
353;   Com.  ^S^  38,  68,  72-86. 

Apollodo'rus,  28 ;  references  to,  147, 149, 
182,  189,  196,  219,  231,  234,  244,  255, 
258.  269,  276;  and  footnotes  to  text, 
passim. 

Apollo'nius  (of  Rhodes),  27;  references 
to.  149,  210,  244,  277. 

Apule'ius,  29;  references  to,  152,  160; 
transl.  Com.  \  12. 

Aq'uilo,  72. 

Arach'ne,  myth  of,  109-111 ;  Com,  \  frj. 

Arca'dia,  94.  136.  235,  236,  273,  357,  358. 

Ar'cas,  son  of  Caliisto,  94;  Com.  {  59; 
geneal.  table  D  ;  ij  60. 

Areop'agus:  Mars'  Hill,  on  which  the 
highest  of  Athenian  tribunals  held  its 
meetings ;  see  St.  Paul's  address,  Acts 
17:  22. 

A'rcs;  see  Mars. 

Arethu'sa,  myth  of,  142-145;  Shelley's 
Poem,  142-145.  183;   Com.  ■}  88. 

Ar'ges.  Com.  J  17. 

Ar'go,  the,  245 ;   Com.  {  144. 

Ar'golis,  Com.  §  133. 

Argonau'tic  exp)edition,  73,  245. 

Ar'gonauts,  the,  239.  245,  277,  340. 

Ar'gos  (city  and  district),  24,  129,   13S, 


498 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


189, 224,  231,  23s,  272, 363 ;   Com,  §§  66, 

133- 
Ar'gus  (Panoptes),  11,  69;  myth  of  lo, 

Mercury,  and  A.,  92-94 ;   Com.  ^  59. 
Ar'gus  (builder  of  Argo),  245. 
Ariad'ne,  174,   178;    myth  of,   260-266, 

268  ;  see  Theseus,  and  Bacchus ;  Com. 

genealogy,  §  149, 152-157  (Interpr.  and 

lUustr.). 
Ari'on,  Com.  }  ii ;  identified  with  Jonah, 

12. 
Ari'on  (the  horse),  190. 
Aristae'us,  138,  145 ;  myth  of,  220. 
Aristoph'anes,  27. 
Ar'ne,  190. 
Arsin'oe,  130,  172. 
Ar'temis ;  see  Diana. 
A'runs,  364. 

Aryan,  germ  theory,  20 ;  tribes  and  mod- 
em descendants,  20,  35. 
Asa-folk ;  see  Anses. 
Asca'nius ;   Com.  §  J65  (5)  ;  see  lulus, 
Asclepi'adae  (Ascle'pios),    Com.  §  79; 

see  ^sculapius) . 
Asgard,  2,  3,  367,  382,  383,  385,  386,  388, 

391- 
Ash,  367. 
Asia,  20,  95, 175. 
Aso'pus,  100;   Com.  §  63. 
Asphodel,  the  meads  of,  79,  144. 
Assar'acus,    grandfather    of   Anchises, 

Com.  {  165  (5). 
Assyrians,  the.  Com.  }  40. 
Astar'te,  Com.  §§  40,  61. 
Aste'rie,  Com.  \\  144-147. 
Astrae'a,  48 ;   Com.  ^  28. 
Asty'anax,  300;   Com.  {  165  (5). 
Atalan'ta    (the  Arcadian),  daughter  of 

Jasus,  in  the  Calydonian  hunt,  251- 

254;  selections  from  Swinburne's  Ata- 

lanta  in  Calydon,  251  et  seq.,  273 ;   Com. 

$  148. 
Atalan'ta  (daughter  of  Schoeneus  of  Boe- 

otia),  162-164;  extract  from  Landor's 

Hippomenes  and  Atalanta,  163,  164; 

cousin  of  Meleager,  244;  Com.  §  95; 

geneal.  tables  G  and  I,  {§  95,  132  (5). 
A'te,  297. 
Ath'amas,  244;  genealogy,  Com.  \\  95, 

132  (5).  145- 


Athe'na,  Com.  \  35;  see  Minerva. 

Athens,  24,  109,  116,  244,  255,  267. 

A'thos,  Mount,  124;   Com.  \  75. 

Allan 'tis,  legend  of,  82;  see  the  Timaeus 
of  Plato. 

At'las,  40;  described,  86;  his  offspring, 
the  Atlantides,  87 ;  Com.  \  19 ;  gene- 
alogy, \  132  (5)  ;  \\  133-137. 

Atli ;  see  Attila. 

Atmu ;  see  Eigyptian  deities. 

A'treus,  house  of,  277,  281 ;  Com.  \\  77, 
165  (2). 

Atri'des,  Com.  \  76. 

At'ropos,  a  Fate,  72. 

At'tila,  Atli,  Etzel,  399-404 ;  Com.  ^§  185, 
186. 

Audhumbla,  366. 

Auge'as,  Auge'an  Stables,  235;  Com. 
kh  139-143  (Interpret.). 

Augi'as;  see  Augeas. 

Augustan  Age,  2,  28. 

Augus'tus,  28,  89. 

Au'lis,  288. 

Au'ra,  192,  193. 

Auro'ra,  73,  75,  150,  170,  182,  192,  195; 
and  Tithonus,  196;   Com.  \  112. 

Auro'ra  Borea'lis,  368. 

Aus'ter,  72. 

Australians,  mental  state  of  contempo- 
rary savages,  13,  21. 

Auton'oe,  117,  145,  175,  178,  269. 

Av'atar,  see  under  Hindoo  divinities. 

Av'entine,  Mount,  239;  Com.  \\  139- 
143  (Textual). 

Aver'nus,  Lake,  81,  345. 

Avesta,  36. 

Babylo'nia,  170. 

Bac'chanals,  177;   Com.  \\  102,  103. 

Bacchant 'es,  76,  175;   Com.  \\  102,  103. 

Bac'chus  (Dionysus),  descent  and  attri- 
butes, 76 ;  Dryden's  Alexander's  Feast 
(stanza),  76;  worshippers  of  B.,  76; 
or  the  Roman  Liber,  88;  his  mother 
Semele,  98;  ni>'ths  of  B.,  174-180;  his 
wanderings,  174-176 ;  story  of  Acetes, 
176-178;  lines  from  Edmund  Gosse's 
Praise  of  Dionysus,  178,  179  ;  the 
choice  of  Midas,  180,  189;  and  Ari- 
adne, 266 ;  Com.  §§  46, 62, 102-104, 131. 


INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUByECTS. 


499 


Balaus'tion,  see  Browning,  Balaustion's 
Adventure ;  Index  of  Authors. 

Balder,  32,  369 ;  the  death  of,  380-391 ; 
extracts  from  M.  Arnold's  Balder  Dead, 
381-391 ;   Com.  ^\  177-184,  185,  186. 

Balmung,  403. 

Bards,  22,  30. 

Bassar'ides,  Com.  }  46. 

Bat'tus,  a  peasant  who  informed  Apollo 
of  Mercury's  robbery  of  his  cattle ;  or 
who,  having  promised  secrecy  to  Mer- 
cury, told  the  whole  story  to  Mercury 
disguised,  and  was  petrified  by  the 
offended  deity. 

Bau'cis,  105. 

Bear,  Great  and  Little,  myth  of,  94,  95, 
123. 

Beauty  and  the  Beast,  analogy  of  inci- 
dent. Com.  {  94. 

Beller'ophon,  4;  myth  of,  231-233;  the 
ChimDera,  233,  244,  295 ;   Com.  §  138. 

Bello'na,  89;   Com.  ^  56. 

Be'lus,  king  of  Tyre,  223,  224,  342  ; 
genealogy.  Com.  }^  59, 132, 133.  Com- 
pare the  deity  Dual. 

Bel'vedere,  the  Apollo,  Com.  §  38. 

Berecyn'tia,  see  Cybele;   Com.  §  45  a. 

Berg-risar,  369. 

Berne  (Dietrich  of), 403 ;  Com.  {{  185, 186. 

Ber'oe,  98. 

Bible,  the  Hebrew,  12. 

Bifrost,  367,  369,  388. 

Bi'on,  Lang's  transl.  of  Lament  for 
Adonis,  151,  152;   Com.  }}  11,  61. 

Biorn  of  Scardsa,  32. 

Bi'ton,  108;   Com.  }  66. 

BcEo'tia,  190  et  passim. 

Bo'na  De'a,  89. 

Books  of  the  Dead  and  of  the  Lower 
Hemisphere,  35. 

Boo'tes,  123;   Com.  {  75. 

Bor,  366. 

Bo'reas,  72,  341. 

Bori,  366. 

Bosphorus  :  the  heifer's  ford ;  the  Thra- 
cian  strait  crossed  by  lo. 

Bragi,  369, 

Brahma  and  Brahmanism ;  see  under 
Hindoo  divinities. 

Branstock,  392,  393,  394,  399. 


Brazen  Age,  48. 

Breidablick,  the  home  of  Balder. 

Bri'areus  (trisyllable)  or  Bria'  reiis,  346; 
Com.  f  {  17,  21.    . 

Brise'is,  290. 

Bro'mius,  Com.  ^  46;  see  Bacchus. 

Bron'tes,  Com.  ^  17. 

Brunhild,  400-404;  Com.  §}  185,  186. 

Bru'tus,  a  mythical  grandson  of  ^neas; 
fabled  to  have  colonized  the  island 
called,  after  him,  Britain. 

Brynhild,  396-399;    Com.  J^  185,  186. 

Buddha :  Family  name  Gautama ;  given 
names,  Siddartha  ("  in  whom  wishes 
are  fulfilled  ")  and  Buddha  ("  he  who 
knows").  Born  628  B.C.,  son  of  the 
king  of  Kapilavastu,  north  of  Oude, 
India;  died  in  his  eighty-fifth  year. 
Founder  of  Buddhism  which,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  dead  creed  and  forms  of 
Brahmanism,  taught:  "  (i)  Existence 
is  only  pain  or  sorrow.  (2)  The  cause 
of  pain  or  sorrow  is  desire.  (3)  In 
Nirvana  all  pain  and  sorrow  cease. 
(4)  Nirvana  is  attainable  by  the '  noble 
path '  of  virtuous  self-discipline."  Nir- 
vana is  both  a  means  and  an  end.  As 
a  means,  it  is  the  process  of  renuncia- 
tion by  which  the  love  of  life  and  self 
are  extinguished ;  as  an  end,  it  is  the 
heaven  of  the  Buddhist,  a  negative 
bliss  consisting  in  absolute  annihila- 
tion of  the  soul.  The  soul  is  the 
Karma,  the  sum  total  of  a  man's  deeds, 
good  and  evil,  —  his  character,  by  which 
is  determined  his  state  of  future  exist- 
ence. The  Karma  passes  through 
various  earthly  existences  in  the  pro- 
cess of  renunciation  described  above. 
(See  Edw.  Clodd,  Childhood  of  Relig- 
ions; John  Caird,  Oriental  Religions 
(Humboldt  Library);  Encyc.  .Brit. ; 
Sir  Eldwin  Arnold,  Light  of  Asia.) 

Budlung,  399. 

Bull,  the,  Jupiter  as,  96. 

Burgundy,  400. 

Bushmen,  mental  state  of,  13. 

Busi'ris :  an  Eigyptian  despot  who  sacri- 
ficed all  strangers  entering  his  realm, 
but  was  put  to  de.ith  by  HeTcules. 


500 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Bu'to :    an  Egyptian  goddess  identified 

by  the  Greeks  with  Leto. 
Byr'sa,  342. 

Ca'cus,  myth  of,  239;  Com.  ^  139-143 

(textual). 

Cadmus,  98;  and  tlie  dragon,  114-117; 
builds  Thebes,  115;  marries  Harmo- 
nia;  curse  upon  his  family,  117,  145, 
175,  219,  223,  246,  269,  273 ;  Com. 
}}  59  (table  D),  61  (table  E). 

Cadu'ceus,  the,  68,  173. 

Cal'cus,  124 ;   Com.  §  75. 

Calais,  73,  245. 

Cal'chas,  23,  288,  292. 

Callim'achus,  Com.  ■f  11. 

Calli'ope,  the  muse  of  epic  poetry,  72; 
mother  of  Orpheus,  138,  185. 

Callir'rhoe;  see  Chrysaor. 

Callis'te,  Com.  ^  39. 

Callis'to,  92 ;  myth  of,  94,  95 ;   Com.  f  60. 

Cal'pe,  237. 

Cal'ydon,  221,  250-254;   Com.  §  131. 

Calydonian  Boar,  the,  223. 

Calydonian  Hunt,  241. 

Cal>'p'so,  323';    Com.  ^  171. 

Came'nae  (Antevorta,  Postvorta,  Car- 
menta,  and  Egeriii)  :  the  name  comes 
from  the  root  of  Carmen,  song  of 
prophecy ;  see  90. 

Camil'la,  356,  364;   Com.  }  176. 

Cam 'pus  Mar'  tius,  Com.  $  36. 

Cap'aneus,  217,  274. 

Cap'itoline  Hill. 

Ca'pys,      father     of     Anchises,      Com. 

^  165  (5). 
Ca'ria,  149. 
Came 'a.  Com.  ^  38. 
Car'pathos,  220.  221 ;   Com.  f  130. 
Carthage.  342,  343. 
Cassan'dra,  23,  308,  310;     Com.  §§  165 

(5).  170. 
Cassiepe'a,  Cassiope'a,  Cassi'ope,  228; 

quotation  from  Milton,  U  Pens.,  228; 

Com.  }J  133-137. 
Casta'lia,  60,  115;   Com.  §$  38,  70. 
Cas'tor,     223,     245,    254,    281  ;       Com. 

$  165  (2). 
Catul'lus,  29 ;  translations  of  his  Peleus 

and  Thetis,  261-266, 278-280;  note  and 


transl..  Com.  §  12;  Cat.  LXI.,  LXII., 

i^43;  Cat.  LI.,  §  99. 
Cau'casus,  45,  279. 
Cays'ter,  124;   Com.  ^  75. 
Cebri'ones,  295. 
Cecro'pia,  Com.  ^  67. 
Ce'crops,    109,   224,   258;      Com.  ^   (rj; 

genealogy,   ^    132    (4),    151,    152-157 

(lUustr.). 
Ceda'lion,  147. 

Celse'no,  (1)  a  Pleiad;   (2)  a  Harpy. 
Ce'leiis,  182. 
Centaurs,  the,  130,  235,  267,  277;    Com. 

^k  79.  139-143  (Interpret.). 
Centim'anus,  Com.  §  17. 
Ce'os  :  an  island  in  the  ^Egean. 
Ceph'alus,   73;  and  Procris,  192;   Com. 

^  112,  165  (4). 
Ce'pheus,  228. 

Cephis'sus,  61,  206,  259;   Com.  §§  38,  70. 
Cer'berus,  79;     and    Here,    238,    347; 

Com.  ^^  51,  139-143  (Interp.). 
Ce'res,  39,  or  Deme'ter,  52;    attributes 

of,  75 ;  meaning  of  names,  428 ;  Eleu- 

sinian  mysteries,  75 ;  the  Roman,  88; 

and  Psyche,  156,  174;  myths  of,  181- 

184;    wanderings    of,    182,    190,   209; 

Com.  $\J  45,  61,  105,  106. 
Ceryne'an   stag,  235;     Com.  §^  139-143 

(Interp.). 
Ces'tus,  the,  65,  293. 
Ce'to,  86. 
Ceylon,  35. 

Ceyx,  194;  Com.  113;  see  Halcyone. 
Cha'os,  37 ;   Com.  §  16. 
Cha'ris:  youngest  of  the  Charites;  called 

also  Aglaia  ( Aglala) ,  wife  of  Vulcan. 
Char'ites;  see  Graces. 
Cha'ron,  79,  347,  369. 
Charyb'dis,  264,  321,  341. 
Chimae'ra,  233,  346;   Com.  ^  138. 
Chi'os  (Sc-io),  24, 146;   Com.^\^  11,90,99. 
Chi'ron,  130,  245,  277;   Com.  ^  79. 
Cho'rus,  214. 
Christ,  2. 

Chro'nus,  Chro'nos,  ri;   Com.  ^  17. 
Chrysa'or,  son  of  Posidon :   sprang  with 

Pegasus  from   head   of   Medusa ;    by 

Callirrhoe,    father   of   Geryones    and 

Ek:hidna. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL    SUBJECTS, 


501 


Chryse'Is,  126,  290;   Com.  \  76. 

Chry'ses,  126,  290. 

Chrysoth'emis,  daughter  of  Agamem- 
non ;   Com.  \  165  (2) . 

Cic'ero,  reference  to  the  Tusculan  Dis- 
putations, 213. 

Cico'nians,  the,  313. 

Ci'lix,  son  of  Agenor;  brother  of  Cad- 
mus and  Phoenix ;  settled  in  CUicia. 

Cimmerian,  195;   Com.  J  113. 

Cimine'rians,  the,  81. 

Cin'yras,  150. 

Cir'ce,  218,  318-320,  322;  genealogy, 
Com.  \\  149,  171. 

Cithasron,  Mount,  102,  177,  269;  Com. 
\\  64,  102,  103. 

Claros,  195. 

Cle'obis,  108;   Com.  \  66. 

Cleom'enes,  circa  200  B.C.  Sculpt.;  Com, 

Cli'o,  the  Muse  of  history,  72. 
Clo'tho,  a  Fate,  73. 
Clym'ene,  121,  138;   Com.  \  75. 
Clytemnes'tra,    250,    281,    310  ;     Com. 

$  165  (2)  genealogy;  {  170. 
Clyt'ie.  141;    Thos.  Moore's  verses  on 

the  Sunflower,  141. 
Clyt'ius,  Com.  \  21. 
Cna'geus  (of  the  Artemis  Cnagia),  Com. 

^39- 

Cni'dos,  66,  150;   Com.  §  40. 

Cno'sus,  Cnos'sus;  see  Gnossus. 

Coc'alus,  256. 

Cocy'tus,  78. 

Cce'us,  a  Titan,  91 ;   Com.  $  17. 

Col'chis,  46,  244 ;  Com,  §}  139-143  (Text- 
ual). 

Colo'nus,  271. 

Col'ophon,  24. 

Co'mus:  in  later  mythology  a  god  of 
festivity,  drunkenness,  and  mirth  ;  see 
Milton's  Masque  of  Comus. 

CoVa  (Kore)  ;  see  Proserpine. 

Corinth,  66,  149,  214.  249. 

Cornuco'pia,  221;  Com.  \  131. 

Coroe'bus,  129. 

Coro'nis,  130,  138;  see  under  ^Escula- 
pius. 

Cor\'ban'tes,  Com.  §  26;  reference  to,  47. 

Cor'ythus,  Com.  {  169. 


Cos  :  an  island  off  the  coast  of  Caria. 

Cot'tus,  Com.  §  17. 

Cra'non,  Cran  non:  a  town  in  the  vale 
of  Tempe,  in  Thessaly. 

Creation,  Greek  myths  of,  37. 

Creation,  the  Norse,  366,  367. 

Cre'on,  271 ;   Cam.  §§  158-164. 

Cres'sida,  Com.  §  167. 

Cre'ta,  84,  97,  219,  260,  339;   Com.  §  61. 

Cretan  Bull,  236,  255;  Com.  §^  139-143 
(Interp.). 

Cre'theus,  Com.  §  132  (2),  132  (5). 

Cre'iis,  Com.  ^  17. 

Creii'sa,  249,  338;  (i)  wife  of  Jason, 
249 ;  (2)  mother  of  Ion,  Com.  §  151 ; 
(3)  wife  of  yEneas,  338 ;  Com.  §  165  (5). 

Croc'ale,  145. 

Cronus,  38,  39;  the  rule  of,  39,  40,  55; 
in  Fortunate  Isles,  82;  confounded 
with  Chronos,  11 ;   Com.  {  17. 

Cu'mas,  81.  344. 

CuniBe'an  Sibyl,  344. 

Cu'pid,  Cupi'  do  (Eros)  and  Psyche,  29; 
attributes  of,  70;  Eros,  by  Edmund 
Gosse,  70,  71 ;  Cupid  and  Campaspe, 
by  Lyly,  Com.  $  43,  Apollo  and  Daphne, 
138 ;  Cupid  and  Psyche,  152-161 ;  ex- 
tracts from  Wm.  Morris's  Earthly  Par- 
adise. 155,  158;  T.  K.  Hervey's  Cupid 
and  Psyche,  159,  160;  Keats'  Ode  to 
Psyche,  i6o,  161 ;  Hero  and  Leander, 
166;   Com.  }f  43(1),  94. 

Cure'tes:  inhabitants  of  Crete,  noisy 
worshippers  of  Jupiter;  later  identi- 
fied with  the  Corybantes  (worshippers 
ofCybele). 

Cy'ane,  river,  182, 183 ;  a  Sicilian  nymph, 
companion  of  Proserpina;  Com.  ^§ 
105,  106. 

Cyb'ele.  or  Cy-be'be,  attributes  and 
worship,  76;  or  the  Roman  Magna 
Mater,  88,  164;  Co/11.  §J  26,  45  a;  see 
also  Rhea. 

Cyc'lic  Poets,  The,  25. 

Cy-clo'pes,  Cy 'clops,  38,  40,  41,  83 ;  and 
Apollo,  130,  147, 203,  215,  314, 317, 340; 
Com.  ^^  17,  126. 

Cyc'nus:  (i)  Son  of  Apollo.  With  his 
mother  Thyria,  he  leaped  into  lake 
Canope,    where    both    were   changed 


502 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


into  swans.  (2)  Son  of  Posidon,  a 
king  of  Colonas  in  Troas,  He  assisted 
the  Trojans,  but  was  killed  by  Achilles ; 
changed  into  a  swan.  (3)  Son  of  Ares, 
killed  by  Hercules;  changed  into  a 
swan.  (4)  A  friend  of  Phaethon ; 
while  lamenting  his  friend's  fate,  Cyc- 
nus  was  changed  by  Apollo  into  a 
swan,  and  placed  among  the  stars. 

Cy-dip'pe  and  her  sons,  108 ;  Com. 
§66. 

Cyl-le'ne,  Mount,  68,  172;  Com.  §  loi. 

Cy'nosure,  or  Cynosure,  the,  Com. 
§60. 

Cyn'thia  (Diana),  64,  142,  150;  Com. 
§39- 

Cyn'thus,  Mount,  in  Delos,  Com.  §§  39, 

77- 
Cyp'rian,  the,  113;  Com.  §  68. 
Cy'pris;  see  Aphrodite,  Venus,  95,  152, 

153,  156,  163;   Com.  §§  40,  61. 
Cy'priis,  island  of,  3,  65,  66,  215. 
Cy-re'ne,  138,  220;   Com.  §  130. 
Cy-the'ra,  island  of,  65. 
Cy  there 'a,    (Venus),    152,    157 ;    Com. 

$^  40.  93- 
Cyz'icus;   king  of  Cyzicus  on  the  Pro- 
pontis.    Received  the  Argonauts,  but 
by  mistake  was  slain  by  Hercules  or 
Jason. 

Daed'alus  (and  Icarus),  255,256;  Com. 

f  §  83, 150. 
Da'gon,  4. 
Dan'ae,  Lamentation  of,  27,  91 ;    myth 

of,  225,  230;  woven  by  Arachne,  m; 

Com.  §}  133-137. 
Dan'aans,  Dan'al,  126. 
Dan'alds,  Dana'ides,  Com.  §§  107,  133. 
Dan'aus,  the  daughters  of,  186,  190 ;   the 

house  of,  223-243 ;  Com.  §{  59, 132  (i) , 

132  (5) ;  133-137. 

Daph'ne,  mythof,  138-141;  explanations, 

10;  Com.  §§  35,  85,  130. 
Daphnepho'  ria.  Com.  §  38. 
Daph'nis,  203;   Com.  §  116. 
Dar'danus,  147;   Com.  165  (5). 
Darkness,  37. 
Daughter  of  the  Skies,  story  of;  analogy 

of  incident,  Com.  {  94. 


;  Dau'lis,  258. 

Dawn,  goddess  of.  Com.  §  41.    See,  also, 
Aurora, 
i  Day,  38. 

Death  (Than'atos)  84;  Hercules'  strug- 
j  gle  with,  133-136 ;  Com.  §  51, 
j  Deidami'a:  (1)  orLaodami'a,  daughter 
of  Bellerophon  and  mother  of  Sarpe- 
don;  (2)  daughter  of  Lycomedes  of 
Scyros,  and  mother  of  Pyrrhus  by 
Achilles ;  (3)  or  Hippodami  a,  wife 
of  Pirithoiis. 

Dei'mos,  Dread:  a  son  and  attendant 
of  Mars,  58. 

De'ion,  Com.  §  112;  genealogy,  §  132 
(2),  132  (5). 

DeTph'obus,  287,  299;   Com.  §  165  (5). 

Dejani'ra,  221,  241,  254,  281  ;  Com. 
§§  131,  144,  148. 

De'lia,  a  name  for  Diana  of  Delos. 

De'los,  63,  256,  339 ;   Com.  §  39. 

Del'phi,  39;  oracle  of,  61  ;  centre  of 
world,  74 ;  139, 189,  269,  276,  310 ;  Com. 
§§38,  44  (4),  85. 

Delphin'ia,  Com.  {  38. 

Delphy'ne,  Com.  §  38. 

Delusion  of  Gylfi,  32. 

Deme'ter,  and  Pelops,  6;  and  Spring- 
tide, 6,  271 :   Com.  6,  45 ;  see  Ceres. 

Demigods  and  Heroes,  Age  of,  49;  in 
the  Theban  and  Trojan  wars,  50. 

Demod'ocus  of  Phasacia,  22,  329. 

Deterioration,  theory  of,  8-13. 

Deuca'lion,  12;  with  Pyrrha  repeoples 
the  world,  49,  223  ;  descendants  of, 
244;   Com.  §  29;  genealogy,  §  132  (5). 

Devas ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities. 

Di'a,  the  island  of,  176,  262;  old  name 
for  Naxos  ;   Com.  §  102,  103. 

Di-a'na,  usually  pronounced  Di-an'a 
(Artemis),  moon-goddess,  2;  Artemis, 
3;  daughter  of  Latona,  52;  attributes 
of,  63;  meaning  of  names,  63;  iden- 
tified with  Selene,  63,  73;  her  ven- 
geance on  Agamemnon,  Orion,  and 
Niobe,  64,  142,  and  ad  loc.  ;  her  favor- 
ite animals,  etc.,  64;  Ben  Jonson's 
Hymn  to  Diana,  64,  65;  among  the 
Romans,  88 ;  Lucina,  89 ;  aids  Syrinx, 
93;  punishes  Niobe,  126-129;   Myths 


INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUByECTS. 


503 


of  D.,  141-150;  Tityus,  Python,  Cal- 
listo,  141,  and  ad  loc;  Oineus,  142, 
250;  A'.pheiis  and  Arethusa,  142-145; 
the  fate  of  Acfajon,  145,  146;  of  Orion, 
146, 147 ;  the  Pleiads,  147, 148 ;  D.  and 
Endymion,  149,  150;  and  Cephalus, 
192,  206,  207 ;  and  CEneus,  250 ;  268, 
288,  311,  244,  356,  364;  Com.  §$  39, 
87-92. 

Dic'te,  Com.  \  18. 

Dictyn'na:  Diana  (Artemis)  as  pro- 
tectress of  fishermen. 

Dic'tys:  fisherman  of  Seriphuswho  res- 
cued Danae  and  Perseus  from  the 
waves,  and  entrusted  them  to  Poly- 
dectes,  his  brother. 

Dido,  140,  342,  343,  348 ;   Com.  {  174. 

Dietrich,  403 ;   Com.  \  186. 

Di'ke:  personification  of  Justice. 

Dindyme'ne,  a  surname  of  Cybele ;  from 
Mount  Dindymus  in  Phrygia;    Com. 

h  45  «• 
Di'omede  (son  of  Tydeus),  contest  with 

Mars,  112, 113 1287,  294,  304,  305 ;   Com. 

§  68. 
Di-ome  des  (son  of  Mars) ,  owner  of  the 

man-eating  mares,  236. 
Di-o'ne,  mother  of  Venus  (Aphrodite), 

52;   Com.  \\  34,40. 
Dionys'ia,  Com.  \\  46,  102,  103. 
Diony'sus ;  see  Bacchus. 
Dioscu'ri ;  see  Tyndaridoe,  282. 
Di'ras :  the  Furies. 
Dir'ce,  102. 
Dis ;  see  Pluto,  83. 
Discord,  Discor'dia  (Eris) ,  73 ;  apple  of, 

285. 
Dith'yramb  (Arion's),  26. 
Division  of  world  among  Greek  gods, 

40. 
Dodo'na,  the  oracle,  52,  53. 
Dolphin  and  Apollo,  Com.  \  38. 
Do'ris,  85,  215,  277. 
Do'rus,  Do'rian,  143,  144;    Com.  \  88; 

genealogy,  \\  95,  132  (2),  132  (5). 
Do'rus,  son  of  Hellcn,  49. 
Drapas,  the,  30. 

Dreams,  gates  of,  84 ;   Com.  \  51. 
Dry'ads,  the,  77, 161,  204 ;  myths  of,  208; 

Com.  §  117. 


Dry'o-pe,  210;   Com.  \  122. 

Dwarves,  395. 

Dyaus   (cf.  Zeus,  Jupiter) ;    see  tinder 

Hindoo  divinities. 
Dynast,  the  (Pluto),  187. 

Earth,  37, 38, 125;  gods  of,  among  Greeks, 
74-77;  conception  of  world,  74;  lesser 
Greek  divinities  of  E.,  77;  myths  of 
greater  gods  of,  174-180;  of  E.  and 
underworld,  181-189;  of  lesser  gods 
of,  200-214 !  see  also  under  Gcea. 

Elast  of  the  Sun,  and  West  of  the  Moon  : 
story ;  analogy  of  incident ;   Com.  \  94. 

Echid'na :  half  serpent,  half  woman,  who 
bore  to  Typhon,  —  Cerberus,  the  Ne- 
mean  Lion,  and  the  Lemaean  Hydra. 

E^h'o  (according  to  rule,  Echo),  206, 
207;   Com.  \  118. 

Eddas,  derivation  of  name,  history  of 
poems,  31-33 ;  translations  and  author- 
ities, 31-33  «.,  366,  387;  Com.  \\  ijj- 
185. 

E>don'i-des,  Mount  E'don,  Com.  §  46; 
see  Bacchus. 

Elge'ria,  268 ;   Com.  §  56, 

Egypt,  Com.  §  133. 

Egyptians,  14,  19 ;  records  of  myths,  35, 
^77<  309 ;  studies.  Com.  }  15. 

Egyptian  divinities :  those  ( i )  of  Memphis 
were  Phtha,  Ra,  Shu  and  Tefhet,  Seb 
and  Nut,  Osiris  and  Isis,  Seth  and 
Nephthys,  Horus  and  Hathor;  those 
(2)  of  Thebes  were  Amen  (Ammon), 
Mentu,  Atmu,  Shu  and  Tefnet,  Seb 
and  Nut,  Osiris  and  Isis,  Seth  and 
Nephthys,  Horus  and  Hathor,  Sebek, 
Tennet,  and  Penit;  see  Encyc.  Brit., 
and  authorities  referred  to  in  §  15.  The 
following  lists  are  genealogically  ar- 
ranged :  — 

I.  Phtha,  or  Ptah :  chief  deity  of  Mem- 
phis ;  perhaps  of  foreign  origin.  His 
name  means  the  "  ojDener,"  or  the 
"  carver."  He  is  called  "  the  Father  of 
the  Beginning,"  and  as  the  prime  ar- 
chitect, or  artificer,  recalls  the  Greek 
Hepha;stus.  He  is  the  activity  of  the 
"Spirit,"  Neph,  Chnuphis.  He  is 
represented  as  a  mummy  or  a  pigmy. 


504 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Pakht  and  Bast:  a.  goddess  of  two  forms, 
lioness-headed  or  cat-headed.  At 
Memphis  Pakht  was  worshipped  as 
wife  of  Phtha ;  at  Bubastis,  Bast  was 
adored  as  daughter  of  Isis. 

Nefer  Atum :  worshipped  at  Heliopolis 
as  the  son  of  Phtha.  Like  Osiris  (see 
below)  he  is  the  sun  of  the  under- 
world. 

Seb :  the  father  of  the  Osirian  gods.  He 
is  the  god  of  earth  and  its  vegeta- 
tion; represented  as  a  man  with  the 
head  of  a  goose ;  he  corresponds 
with  the  Greek  Cronus;  his  consort 
was  Nut. 

Nut :  wife  of  Seb,  mother  of  the  Osirian 
gods ;  the  vault  of  heaven ;  she  may 
be  likened  to  the  Greek  Rhea. 

Osiris,  or  Hesiri :  the  good  principle. 
Identified  with  the  vivifying  power  of 
the  sun,  and  of  the  waters  of  the  Nile. 
In  general,  the  most  human  and  most 
beneficent  of  the  Egyptian  deities.  He 
is  the  son  of  Seb  (or,  according  to 
some,  of  Neph,  Chnuphis).  He  may 
be  likened  to  the  Greek  Apollo,  as  a 
representative  of  spiritual  light;  to 
Dionysus  in  his  vivifying  function.  He 
wages  war  with  his  brother  Seth  (Set), 
the  principle  of  Evil,  but  is  vanquished 
by  him,  boxed  in  a  chest,  drowned, 
and  finally  cut  into  small  pieces.  His 
sister-wife  Isis  recovers  all  but  one 
piece  of  the  body  of  O.,  and  buries 
them.  He  becomes  protector  of  the 
shades,  judge  of  the  underworld,  the 
sun  of  the  night,  the  tutelary  deity  of 
the  Egyptians.  He  is  avenged  bv  his 
son  Horus,  who,  with  the  aid  of  Thoth 
(reason)  temporarily  overcomes  Seth. 
The  mytli  may  refer  to  the  daily  strug- 
gle of  the  sun  with  darkness,  and  also 
to  the  unending  strife  of  good  with 
evil,  the  course  of  human  life,  and  of 
the  life  after  death.  O.  is  represented 
as  a  mummy  crowned  with  the  Egyp- 
tian mitre. 

Isis,  or  Hes :  the  wife  and  feminine 
counterpart  of  Osiris.  Represented  as 
a  woman  crowned  with  sun's  disk  or 


cow's  horns,  bearing  also  upon  her 
head  her  emblem,  the  throne. 

Ho'rus,  or  Har :  son  of  Osiris  and  Isis, 
who,  as  the  strong  young  sun  of  the 
day,  avenges  his  father,  the  sun  of  the 
underworld.  He  is  Horus  the  child, 
Horus  the  elder  (as  taking  the  place 
of  his  father  on  earth),  or  sometimes 
Horus  Harpocrates,  the  god  of  silence. 
As  the  latter,  he  holds  a  finger  to  his 
lips.  He  may  be  compared  with  the 
Greek  Apollo. 

Harpoc'ra-tes :  see  Horus. 

Ha'thor,  or  Athor :  a  goddess  often 
identified  with  Isis.  She  had  the  head 
of  a  cow  and  wears  the  sun's  disk,  and 
plumes.  Her  name  means  "  Home  of 
Horus."  She  has  characteristics  of  the 
Greek  Aphrodite. 

Setk,  or  Set:  the  principle  of  physical, 
and  later  of  moral,  darkness  and  evil. 
He  is  the  opponent  of  his  brother,  or 
father,  Osiris.  Represented  as  a  mon- 
ster with  ass's  body,  jackal's  ears  and 
snout,  and  the  tail  of  a  lion. 

Nephthys :  a  goddess  of  the  dead;  the 
sister  of  Isis,  and  wife  of  Seth.  She 
aided  Isis  to  recover  the  drowned 
Osiris. 

A' pis:  the  sacred  bull,  into  which  the 
life  of  Osiris  was  supposed  to  have 
passed.  The  name  also  indicates  the 
Nile.  The  bull  Apis  must  have  cer- 
tain distinguishing  marks ;  he  was 
treated  like  a  god;  and  on  his  death 
(he  was  drowned  at  twenty-five  years 
of  age)  the  land  went  into  mourning 
until  his  successor  was  found.  He  was 
worshipped  with  pomp  in  Memphis, 
See  Serapis. 

Sera  pis  (or  Sei'apis;  cf.  Milton,  P.  L. 
1 :  720)  ;  as  Apis  represents  the  living 
Osiris,  so  S.  the  Osiris  who  had  passed 
into  the  underworld. 

Ra  :  originally  the  deity  of  the  physical 
attributes  of  the  sun ;  but  ultimately 
the  representative  of  supreme  godhead. 
Worshipped  through  all  Egypt,  and 
associated  with  other  gods  who  are 
then  manifestations  of  his  various  at- 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


505 


tributes.     He  is  the  victorious  princi-  [ 
pie  of  light,  life,  and  right,  but  rules 
over,   rather    than    sympathizes   with, 
mankind.    He  is  of  human  form,  some-  ' 
times   hawk-headed,  always  crowned  j 
with  the  sun's  disk.     His  Greek  coun- 
terpart is  not  Apollo,  but  Helios.  | 

Mentu  :  Ra,  as  the  rising  sun.  ! 

Atmu  :  Ka,  as  the  setting  sun. 

SAu  :  the  solar  light ;  son  of  Ra,  Mentu, 
or  Atmu. 

2.  Amnion,  or  Amen  :  "  the  hidden,"  a  de- 
ity of  the  Egyptian  Thebes  ;  generally 
associated  in  attributes  with  some  other 
god.  As  Amen-Ra  he  is  the  king  of 
Theban  gods,  the  divinity  of  the  sun. 
He  is  of  human  form ;  rarely  with  a 
goat's  head  as  represented  by  the 
Greeks.  He  corresponds  to  the  Greek 
Zeus.  As  Amen-Khem  he  is  the  god 
of  productivity,  and  is  represented  with 
a  flail  in  his  hand.  His  consort  is 
Mut,  or  Maut,  and  their  son  is  Khuns. 

A/uf,  or  Afitut :  the  mother ;  the  Theban 
goddess  of  womanhood,  wife  of  Amen- 
Ra.  She  corresponds  to  the  Greek 
Demeter. 

Khuns:  son  of  Ammon  and  Maut;  a 
divinity  of  the  moon.  He  is  some- 
times hawk-headed;  generally  invested 
with  the  disk  and  crescent  of  the 
moon. 

Neph,  Chnuphis,  Khnum,  Num,  or  Nu: 
the  soul  of  the  universe ;  the  word  or 
will  of  Ammon-Ra  ;  the  creator.  Repn 
resentcd  with  the  head  of  a  ram. 

Khem,  Cliem  {cf.  Milton's  Cham),  called 
also  Min  :  the  energizing  principle  of  - 
physical   life.      Associated  with   both 
Ammon  and  Osiris.     His  counterpart 
in  classical  mythology  is   Pan,  or,  as  j 
god  of  gardens,  Priapus. 

Neith :  goddess  of  the  upper  heaven ;  ' 
self-produced ;  mother  of  the  sun ;  I 
goddess,  consequently,  of  wisdom,  the  , 
arts  of  peace  and  of  war.  Likened  by 
the  Greeks  to  Athena.  Worshipped 
in  Lower  Egypt  as  a  W'oman  in  form,  ; 
with  bow  and  arrows  in  her  hand.  i 

AJa-t :    goddess  of  truth ;    her  emblem 


the  ostrich  feather  which  signifies  truth. 

She  is  the  wife  of  Thoth. 
Thoth :  the  chief  moon-god;  character- 
ized by  his  wisdom,  and  his  patronage 

of  letters.     Husband  of  Ma-t. 
Anubis :  son  of  Osiris.    Guide  of  ghosts. 
Eileithy'ia    (Ilithy'  ia),   the  name   of  a 

goddess,  or  of  goddesses,  of  childbirth  ; 

later  identified  with  Diana;   Com.  ^  39. 
Elec'tra,   (i)   a   Pleiad,  147,   148;    Com. 

$J  91,  132  (s),  165  (5),  geneal.  tables; 

(2)    daughter    of   Agairiemnon,    310; 

Com.  §^  165  (2),  170. 
Elec'tryon,  231,  234. 
Elegiac  poets  of  Rome,  29. 
Eleusin'ia,  Eleusinian  mysteries;    Eleu- 

sis,  23,  182,  184;   Com.  J  J  105,  106. 
Eleu'sis;  see  above. 
Eleu'tho;  sue  Eileithyia. 
Elflieim,  369,  387,  388. 
Elgin  marbles.  Com.  §  35. 
E'iis,  190,  et passi/n  ;   Com,  ^  88. 
Elli,  377-379- 

Elves,  369,  387;   Com.  ^!j  177-184. 
Elvidnir,  370. 
Elys'ium,  Elysian  Plain,  75;  description 

of  E.  Fields,  81,  82;    Andrew  Lang's 

Fortunate  Islands,  82,  348-352;   Com. 

§48. 
Ema'thia  :  Thessaly,  or  Pharsalia. 
Enibla,  367. 

Encel'adus,  a  Giant,  42. 
Enche'lians,  the  country  of,  117;     Com. 

■f  70- 
Endym'ion,  2,  142;     myth  of,  149,  150, 

250;   Com.^  92;  genealogy,  {§  132(3), 

132  (5),  148. 
Eni'peus,  190;   Com.  ^  109. 
En'na,  144,  182;   Com.  $  88. 
Enya'lius:  the   horrible,  the  warlike ;  an 

epithet  for  Mars. 
Eny'o,  mother,  daughter,  sister,  or  wife 

of  Mars;  the  horror,  58;  also  one  of 

the  three  Graeae. 
E'os,  73 ;  see  Aurora. 
Epeiis :     the  artificer   of   the   Wooden 

Horse. 
Ep'aphus,  224;    Com.  ^  75. 
Eph'esus,  Diana  of.  Com.  §39;  Venus 

of,  Com.  ^  40. 


506 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


E-phial'tes,  120;   Com.  §  21.' 

Epics;    see  under   Homer,   Vergil,   Vol- 

sunga-Saga,    Nibelungenlied,  MaMb- 

h&rata,  R&m&yana. 
Ep-idau'rus,  260. 
Epig'oni,  276. 
Ep-imen'i-des :    a  Cretan  herdsman  who 

awoke  from  a  sleep  of  57  years  to  find 

hinjself  endowed  with  gifts  of  prophecy, 

purification,  and  priestcraft. 
Ep)-ime'theus,  43 ;  marries  Pandora,  45 ; 

Com.  §§  22-25. 
E-pi'rus,  340. 

Er'ato,  the  Muse  of  love  poetry,  72. 
Er'ebus,  37,  38,    183,   267,  355;     Co?n. 

^  17.  51.  94- 

E-rech'theus   (trisyl.) ,  258 ;   Com.  ^  1^1. 

Er-ichtho'nius  (i),  224;  descendants  of, 
258-268 ;  Theseus,  259 ;  Theseus  and 
Ariadne,  260-266 ;  Theseus  and  Ama- 
zons, and  Pirithous,  267 ;  Phaedra  and 
Hippolytus,  268;   Covi.  ^^  132  (4),  151. 

Er-ichtho'nius  (2),  son  of  Dardanus, 
and  fourth  king  of  Troy  ;  Com. 
§  165  (5). 

E-rid'anus,  Com.  §  75. 

E-ri'nys,  E-rin'y-es ;  see  Furies. 

Er-iphy'le,  273,  274;   Com.^jo, 

E'ris,  73;   {Hiscors)  s&e  Discord. 

E'ros,  37,  38;  Com.  $  17;  see  under 
Cupid. 

Er-yci'na :  Venus,  to  whom  Mount  Eryx 
and  the  city  of  that  name,  with  its  tem- 
ple of  Venus,  were  sacred,  263 ;  Com. 
§40. 

Er-yman'thus,  Mount,  143;  Erymanth. 
Boar,  23s;  Com.  §§  88,  139-143  (In- 
terp.). 

Er-ysich'thon,  myth  of,  209. 

Er-ythe'a,  island  of,  237. 

Er-ythe'is,  one  of  the  Hesperides. 

E'ryx,  Mount,  66,  181 ;   Com.  §  105,  106. 

Eskimos,  21. 

Ete'o-cles,  272-274 ;  Com.  §§  158-164. 

Etruscans,  90,  359. 

Etzel,  "  Lament  over  the  Heroes  of,"  33 ; 
see  under  Attila. 

Euboe'a,  85. 

Euhem'erus  (Eu-em'erus)  and  Euhem- 
eristic,  9,  20. 


Eumas'us,  331,  332,  335. 

Eumen'i-des,  264 ;  Com.  §  51 ;  see  Furies, 

Eumol'pus  and  Eumolpidae ;  a  Thracian 

singer  and  his  descendants,  priests  of 

Demeter  in  the  Eleusinian  mysteries. 
Euphros'y-ne,  one  of  the  Graces,  71. 
Eurip'i-des,  27 ;  references  to,  136,  234, 

269,  273,  274,  288,  308,  309,  310,  312; 

transl.  Cotn.  ^11. 
Euro'pa,  92;    myth  of,  95-98;  portrayed 

by  Arachne,  iii,  257;   Com.  §  59,  table 

D ;  §  61,  table  E  and  notes. 
Eu'rus,  72. 

Eury'a-le ;  one  of  the  Gorgons. 
Eury'alus,  360-362. 
Euryb'i-e,  a  Titan,  wife  of  Creus ;  Com. 

§  17. 
Eurycle'a,  333. 

Euryd'i-ce,  185-188,  220;   Com.  §  107. 
Euryl'ochus,  318,  319. 
Euryn'o-me,  117;   Com.  §f  17,  71. 
Euryphaes'sa,  Com.  §  17. 
Eurys'theus,  234. 
Euryt'ion,  237,  267. 
Euter'pe,  the  muse  of  lyric  poetry,  72. 
Euxine  Sea,  246. 
Evan'der,  274,  357-363- 
Eve  and  the  apple,  12. 
E'vius,  Com.  J  46;  see  Bacchus. 

Fable,  definition  of,  i ;  distinguished  firom 

myth,  1-3 ;  some  writers  of,  2. 
Fafiiir,  395,  396. 
Fair,  Brown,  and  Trembling,  story  of; 

analogy  of  incident.  Com.  {  94. 
Famine  (personified),  209. 
Farbanti,  369. 
Fas'ti,  29. 
Fate  (Greek  Anan'ke,  Latin  Fa'tum)  the 

necessity  behind  and  above  gods  as 

well  as  men. 
Fates,  the  (Greek  Mce'ra,  Latin  Par'ccB) , 

subject  to  Jupiter;    their  office,  72  ; 

daughters  of  Themis,  or  of  Night,  72, 

132,  184,  254,  277 ;   song  of,  279,  280 ; 

Com.  \  43  (6). 
Fau'na,  89. 

Fau'ni,  Fauns,  Com,  8,  56,  117. 
Fau'nus,  89,  203,  204,  208,  213,  215,  354; 

Com.  \  56. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL    SUBJECTS. 


507 


Favo'nius,  72. 

Fenris,  370,  380,  388,  389. 

Fensalir,  380. 

Fero'nia,  90;    also  worshipped  in  the 

mart  as  a  goddess  of  commerce;  a 

Sabine  deity. 
Fi'des,  90. 

P'lood,  the,  in  Greece,  48. 
Flora,  87;    loved  by  Zephyrus,  73,  89; 

Com.  \  56. 
Fortu'na,  90. 

Fox  and  Grapes,  referred  to,  i. 
Freki,  368. 

Freya,  369,  371,  372.  386. 
Freyr,    369,   379,    386,    387,   388;    Com. 

vS^  177-184. 

Frigga,  368,  380,  381,  382,  386;  Com. 
\\  177-184. 

Frost  Giant  (Ymir),  366,  386.  388. 

Frost  Giants,  371. 

Fu'ria-,  Furies  (Erin'y-es,  Di'rse,  Eu- 
men'i-des,  Sem'nae  :  Alec'to,  Tisipli'- 
o-ne,  Megae'ra),  39,  81;  attendants  of 
Proserpine,  83,  84;  mollified  by 
Orpheus,  186;  190,  213,311,312,345- 
350;  Com.  $  51. 

Gx'a,   Ge,  or  Terra,  38,  39,  42,  76;  or 

the    Roman    Tellus,    88;    see    under 

Earth. 
Gal-ate'a,  the  Xereld,  85,  203 ;    myth  of 

Acis,  Polyphemus,  and   G.,   215-217; 

Com.  \  126. 
Gal-ate'a  and   Pjgma' lion,   167;    Com. 

h  97. 
Gan-yme'da ;  a  name  of  Hebe. 
Gan'ymede,  71 ;   Covi.  \  43  (2). 
Gardens  of  Hesperides,  Com.  \\  133-137. 
Ga'thas,  36. 

Gautama ;  see  Buddha. 
Ge ;  see  Geea  and  Earth. 
Gem'ini ;  see  Tyndaridcr,  282. 
Ge'nius,  the  Roman  tutelary   spirit,  89, 

200. 
Gerda,  380. 
Geri,  368. 
German  heroes,  myths,  and  lays,  20, 392- 

404;  Com.  ^^  185,  186. 
German  mythology,  records  of,  33,  34; 

narrative,  399-403  ;    translations  and 


authorities,  33  «,  34  n,  and  Com.  §§  185, 
186. 

Gemot,  401. 

Ge'ryon,  237  ;  son  of  Chrysaor  and 
Kailirihoe. 

Ghandarvas;  see  under  Hindoo  divini- 
ties (2). 

Giallar,  388. 

Giants,  Greek  (Gi-gan'tes),  39;  war  of, 
41,  42 ;   Com.  §  21. 

Giants,  Norse,  366,  369. 

Ginungagap,  366. 

Giselher,  401. 

Giuki,  397. 

Gladsheim,  367. 

Glau'ce  (or  Creii'sa),  249;  Com.  §§  144- 
147  (Interp.). 

Glau'cus  ;  formerly  a  fisherman  of 
Boeotia,  afterward  a  sea-god,  87,  217, 
222;  Com,  §  127;  sometimes  confused 
in  mythology  with  the  following : 

Glau'cus  of  Corinth,  son  of  Sisyphus, 
and  father  of  Bellerophon,  231. 

Glau'cus,  grandson  of  Bellerophon,  in 
the  Trojan  War,  287. 

Gleipnir,  370. 

Glistenheath,  395. 

Glyptothek,  Munich;  of  King  Louis  I. 
of  Bavaria;  one  of  the  finest  collec- 
tions of  ancient  statuary  in  the  world. 

Gnos'sus  (Cno'sus,  Cnos'sus),  the 
ancient  capital  of  Crete  ;  home  of 
Minos,  264. 

Gods,  the  Egyptian,  see  under  Egypt. 

Gods,  the  great,  of  Greece,  origin  of, 
38 ;  enumerated,  52  ;  discussed  by 
Gladstone,  Com,  §  32 ;  attributes  of  gods 
of  Olympus,  51-73  ;  lesser  divinities  of 
Olympus,  70-73;  Greek  gods  of  the 
earth,  74-77 ;  Greek  gods  of  the  un- 
derworld, 78-84  ;  lesser  divinities  of 
the  underworld,  83-84  ;  older  and 
younger  Greek  dynasties  of  the  waters, 
greater  and  lesser  divinities,  85-87; 
gods  common  to  Greece  and  Italy,  88 ; 
distinctively  Roman,  88-90  ;  derived 
from  Etruscan,  90  ;  myths  of  great 
Greek  divinities  of  heaven,  91-173 ; 
of  earth,  174-180;  of  earth  and  under- 
world,  181-188;    of  waters,   189-191; 


SOS 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IX  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


of  lesser  divinities  of  heaven,  192-199; 
of  lesser  divinities  of  earth  and  under- 
world, 200-214;  of  lesser  divinities  of 
waters,  215-222;  of  the  Norse  gods, 
366-391. 

Gods,  the  Hindoo ;  see  under  Hindoo 
divinities. 

Gods,  the  Norse,  366-391. 

Golden  Age,  the,  43. 

Golden  Ass,  the,  29. 

Golden  Fleece,  the  quest  of,  223,  244- 
247;   Com.  \\  144-147. 

Gol'gi;  a  city  of  Cyprus,  beloved  by 
Venus,  261. 

Gordian  Knot  (Gor'dius),  Cotn.  \  104.      I 

Gor'gons  (Sthe'no,  Eury'a-le,  Medu'sa),  | 
described,  86,  225;   Com.  \\  133-137; 
see  Medusa. 

Gothland,  Goths,  392,  393.  j 

Graces,    (Gra'tias  or  Char'i-tes),  64,  65  ;  i 
attributes  of,  and  names,  71 ;  Spenser, 
on  the  Graces,  71,  96,  200;  Com.  \  43  ' 

(3).  ,  ! 

Gras'se,  Gray-women  (Di'no,  Pephre'- 
do,  Eny'o),  described,  86;  and  Per- 
seus, 225  ;   Com.  \\  133-137. 

Gram,  395,  398,  399. 

Greek,  Greeks,  14,  15,  19  ;  myths  of 
creation,  37;  and  see  under  Gods, 
Heroes,  Myths. 

Greyfell,  395,  397,  399. 

Grimhild,  397-399. 

Gudrun,  397-399,  400. 

Gullinbursti,  386. 

Gulltop.  386. 

Gunnar,  397-399 ;  see  Gunther. 

Gunther,  400-404;   Com.  \^  185,  186. 

Guttorm,  397-399. 

Gy'es    or    Gy'ges,   Centim'anus,    Com. 

h  17- 
Gy'ges,  the  first  king  of  Lydia;  famous 

for  his  riches. 
Gyoll,  384. 

Ha  des,  Com.  \  48 ;  see  under  Pluto. 
Ha'des,  realm  of,  69,  78 ;    Com.  ^  48  ;  see 

Underworld. 
Ha'mon,  275;   Com.  ^\  158-164. 
Haemo'nia,  196. 
HEe'mus,  Mount,  124 ;   Com.  ^  75. 


Hagen,  400-404;   Com.  J^  185,  186. 
Haley  o-ne,  192;    and   Cey.x,   myth   of, 

194-196;   Com.  ^  112. 
Ham-adry'ads,  204 ;  myths  of,  208-212. 
Happy  Isles,  the,  337. 
Harmo'nia,  98;  and  Cadmus,  117;    her 

necklace,    117,    175,    273,    276;     Com. 

§70. 
Harpies,  the,  (Harpy'iae)  described,  86, 

339.    354  :     Gom.    §   52-54  ;    geneal. 

table  C. 
Harpoc'ra-tes  ;  see  Egyptian  deities. 
Hathor,  Athor;  see  Egyptian  deities. 
Heaven,  abode  of  Greek  gods,  51 ;  see 

Olympus ;  attributes  of  Greek  gods  of, 

51 ;  myths  of  greater  Greek  gods,  91- 

173  ;  of  lesser,  192-199. 
Heaven   personified,  37,  38 ;    see  under 

C/ranus. 
He'be,    51;    daughter   of  Juno,  52.  55; 

attributes  of,  wife  of  Hercules,  71,  113, 

242,  247;   Com.  §  43(2). 
He'brus.  188. 
Hec'a-be;  see  Hecuba. 
Hec'a-te,  described,  84,  246,  247,  345 ; 

Com.  §  51. 
Hec-atonchi'res,  38,  40;   Com.  §  ly. 
Hec'tor,  287,  293-302;   Com.  §§  165  (5), 

168. 
Hec'uba,    287,    298,    299,    308;      Com. 

§§165  (5),  168. 
Heimdall,  369,  382,  386,  388. 
Heidrun,  368. 

Hel,  382.  384,  385,  388,  389. 
Hela,  370,  380,  381,  383,  385,  388.  391. 
Helen,  Hel'  ena,  254,  267,  281,  284-302, 

305.  309;  genealogy,  Com.  §§  165  (3), 

167. 
Hel'enus,  23,  340;   Com.  ■f  165  (5). 
Helgi,  the  Hunding's  Bane,  32. 
He-li'a-des,  125;   Com.  ^  75. 
Helicon,  Mount,  124;   Com.  §  75. 
He'lios,    confounded  with   Apollo,   61 ; 

his  family,  73;  the  sun,  75,  189;   Com. 

^  17.  75- 
Hel'le,  244;   Com.  ^  144-147. 
Hel'len,  ancestor  of    the   Hellenes,  49; 

his   sons,   49,   231,   244;     Com.  §§  59, 

132(5)- 
Hel'lespont,  244. 


( 


INDEX    OF  MYTHOLOGICAL  SUBJECTS. 


509 


Hem'era,  day,  sister  of  ^ther  and 
daughter  of  Erebus  and  Night,  38. 

He-phaes'tus,  Com.  \  37 ;  see  Vulcan. 

Her'  a-cles ;  see  Hercules. 

Her'cu-les,  Heracles,  4,  19;  identified 
with  Samson,  12,  27,  42;  son  of  Alc- 
mene,  92;  saves  Alcestis  from  death, 
133-136;  passage  from  Browning's 
Balaustion's  Adventure,  133,  etc.,  189, 
221,  223;  mjnh  of,  234-243;  choice  of, 
234 ;  youth  and  labors,  235-239 ;  later 
exploits,  239 ;  loss  of  Hylas,  240;  exf>e- 
dition  against  Laomedon,  240,  241 ; 
death,  241-243;  245.  255,  260,  266, 
304.  357;   Com.  fj  22-25;  kk  139-143- 

Her'mcs,  Com.  \\  loi,  413;.  see  Mer- 
cury. 

Hermi'o-ne,  daughter  of  Menelaus  and 
Helen,  309;  corruption  of  Harmonia, 
Com.  §  70. 

Hermod,  382,  383,  384,  388-391. 

He'ro  and  Le-an'der,  myth  of,  164- 
167;  extracts  from  Marlowe's  Hero 
and  Leander,  164-166 ;  Keats's  Sonnet 
on  a  picture  of  Leander,  166;  Com. 
J  96. 

Herod'otus,  28;  reference  to,  276. 

Heroes,  the  older,  Greek,  myths  of,  223- 
272;  the  younger  Greek,  myths  of, 
273  et  seq. ;  the  Norse  and  Old  Ger- 
man, 392-403. 

Her'se,  sister  of  Aglau'ros  and  Pan'- 
drosos,  personifications  of  the  dew, 
daughters  of    Cecrops,    Com.  §^  112, 

151- 

He'siod  (Hesi'odiis),  account  of.  Works 
and  Days,  and  Theogony,  25 ;  cited, 
37,  38,  44,  49,  72,  82,  and  footnotes /aj- 
sim  ;  transl.  by  Thomas  Cooke  in  v.  2, 
English  Translations  from  Ancient  and 
Modem  Poems,  3  V.  Lond.  1810;  see 
also  Com.  J{  11,  18. 

Hesi'o-ne,  189,  240,  287 ;   Com.  §  165  (5). 

Hes'per,  Hesperus,  73,  380;  Com. 
{  43(11). 

Hespe'ria,  339. 

Hesper'i-des,  Hesperids,  the  sisters,  the 
garden  of,  73, 87, 228, 237 ;  Com.  §§  133- 

137.  139-143- 
Hes'peris,  87. 


Hes'perus ;  see  Hesper. 

Hes'tia;  see  Vesta, 

Hieroglyphs,  the,  35. 

Hil-a-i'ra,  (i)  a  daughter  of  Apollo; 
(2)  sister  of  Phoebe,  daughter  of  Leu- 
cippus ;  carried  off  with  her  sister  by 
Castor  and  Pollux;  (3)  the  cheerful: 
the  moon. 

Hildebrand,  403. 

Him'eros,  personification  of  the  longing 
of  love ;  a  companion  of  Eros. 

Hindfell,  395,  397. 

Hindoo  divinities:  arranged  logically 
as  (i)  Vedic,  (2)  Brahijianic.  For 
Buddhism  see  under  Buddha. 

I.  Vedic:  the  Aryan,  and  earliest  form 
of  Hindoo  religion ;  dealing  primarily 
with  elemental  powers  that,  in  time, 
acquired  spiritual  signification. 

Vedas :  the  Sanskrit  scriptures ;  firom 
roof,  to  know,  to  be  wise ;  see  p.  35. 

Devas :  the  shining  ones,  the  gods  (Gk. 
theos,  Lat.  deus). 

Dyaus :  the  shining  sky,  the  elemental 
overruling  spirit  of  the  primitive  Ar- 
yans (Gk.  Zeus,  Lat.  Jovis). 

Prithh'i:  goddess  Elarth,  spouse  of  Dyaus. 

Indra  :  son  of  Dyaus  and  Prithivi ;  the 
atmospheric  region ;  chief  of  the  gods, 
and  strongest ;  wielder  of  the  thunder- 
bolt, lord  of  the  plains,  bull  of  the 
heavens,  conqueror  of  the  malignant, 
thirsty  Vritra,  gatherer  of  clouds,  dis- 
penser of  rain ;  adored  in  heaven  and 
on  earth. 

Var  una  :  god  of  the  vault  of  heaven 
(root  var,  to  cover ;  Gk.  Ouranos,  Lat. 
Uranus) ;  the  all-seeing,  the  pardoner, 
merciful  even  to  the  guilty. 

Ushas :  the  dawn,  mother  of  mornings, 
brilliant  of  raiment,  golden-colored, 
spreading  far  and  wide,  everywhere 
awakening  men,  preparing  the  path- 
way of  the  sun,  and  leading  his  white 
steed  (Gk.  Eos), 

Surva:  the  god  who  dwells  ia  the  sun 
(Gk.  Helios). 

Savitar :  the  golden-handed  sun  in  his 
daily  course;  the  shining  wanderer, 
comforter  of  men. 


510 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Soma :  a  deification  of  the  spirituous 
"  extract "  of  the  moon-plant ;  giver  of 
strength  to  gods  and  men,  and  of  radi- 
ant light  and  joyous  immortality. 

Vayu  :  god  of  the  wind. 

Maruts :  deities  of  the  storm. 

Agnl :  the  youngest  and  one  of  the  most 
important  of  the  Vedic  gods ;  lord  oi 
fire,  born  of  two  pieces  of  wood  rubbed 
together ;  youngest  of  the  deities,  giver 
of  prosperity  to  men,  their  guardian 
and  companion,  passing  between 
heaven  and  earth  "  like  a  messenger 
between  two  hamlets  "  (Lat.  ignis  ;  cf. 
Gk.  HephcBstus). 

Vacfi :  goddess  of  speech,  teacher  of 
spiritual  worship,  promoter  of  wisdom 
and  holiness. 

Vritra  :  the  monstrous  snake,  drinker  of 
rain-clouds,  dark,  evil,  and  malicious, 
overcome  by  Indra  {cf.  Apollo  and  the 
Python). 

Raks/iasas :  powers  of  darkness,  com- 
bated by  Indra. 

Yama,  and  his  sister  Yaml  :  the  first  man 
and  woman  ;  leaving  this  life  they  pre- 
pared for  those  that  should  follow 
blissful  abodes  in  the  other  world,  of 
which  they  are  king  and  queen. 

2.  Brahmanic  ;  a  philosophical  outgrowfH 
of  the  Vedic  religion,  which,  on  the 
one  hand,  was  refined  into  logical  sub- 
tleties, intelligible  only  to  the  learned ; 
on  the  other  hand,  crystallized  into 
symbols,  rites,  and  unending  conven- 
tionalities. 

Trimurti :  the  Brahmanic  Trinity,  con- 
sisting of  the  following  three  per- 
sons : 

Brahma :  in  the  Rig-veda,  a  word  for 
devotion,  prayer ;  later,  for  the  supreme 
principle  of  the  universe,  its  source,  its 
essence,  and  its  sustenance.  Brahma 
is  the  creative  energy  of  the  godhead, 
calm,  passionless,  remote  from  man 
and  th»  world.  He  is  four-headed  and 
four-handed. 

Visliiiu :  originally  a  benevolent  Vedic 
deity,  with  certain  attributes  of  the  sun  ; 
adopted  by  a  sect  as  its  special  god, 


and  then  annexed  by  the  Brahmans  as 
a  manifestation  of  the  supreme  being  in 
hx^^iox^aoi preservation.  He  has  nine 
times  assumed  human  form,  each  in- 
carnation having  for  its  purpose  the 
redemption  of  mankind  from  oppres- 
sion or  error.  These  incarnations  are 
his  Av'tttars.  His  ninth  .-Ivatar,  say 
some,  was  as  Buddha;  in  his  tenth  he 
will  end  this  world,  and  reproduce 
Brahma,  wlio  will  create  things  anew. 

Siva  :  originally  a  blood-thirsty  deity, 
not  of  the  Vedic,  but  of  some  aborigi- 
nal Hindu  religion  ;  absorbed  in  the 
Brahmanic  godhead  as  the  manifes- 
tation of  destructive  power.  He  is 
adorned  with  a  necklace  of  skulls  and 
ear-rings  of  serpents. 

Sarasvati,  see  l/ack  :  goddess  of  speech; 
spouse  of  Brahma. 

Sri,  or  Lakslimi  :  goddess  of  beauty ; 
spouse  of  Vishnu. 

Un/a,  or  Parvati  (Kali,  Durga)  :  the 
inaccessible,  the  terrible ;  spouse  of 
Siva. 

Ghandarvas :  genii  of  music  {cf.  Cen- 
taurs) ;  retainers  of  Indra. 

Lokapalas  :  generic  name  for  the  Vedic 
deities  when  degraded  by  Brahmanism 
to  the  position  of  tutelary  spirits. 

Hiordis,  394. 

Hippocre'ne  (anglicized  in  poetry  : 
Hip'pocrene;  three  svllables)  ;  Com. 
§  138. 

Hip-po-da-mi'a  (i)  daughter  of  CEno- 
maus,  190,281 ;  Com.  ^  110;  (2)  daugh- 
ter of  Atrax,  267. 

Hippol'y-te  antl  Hercules,  236  ;  Com. 
§  152-157  (Textual). 

Hippol'y-tus,  268;  Com.  §§  151,  152-157 
(Illustr.). 

Hippom'edon,  273. 

Hippom'e-nes  (or  Mila'nion),  162-164, 
244 ;   Com.  §  95. 

Historians  of  Mythology:  in  Greece,  28; 
in  Norway,  31 ;  see  under  MytA  {Pres- 
ervation of). 

Hodcr,  369,  381,  383;   Com.  \\  177-184. 

Hocnir,  395. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


511 


Ilogni,  397-399;  see  Hagen. 

Ho'nier  (Ho-me'rus)  5  ;  account  of,  24 ; 
Iliad  and  Odyssey,  24,  25,  and  cited 
37.  51.  54.  65,  69,  78,  79.  81,  102,  H2, 
113,  114,  118,  126,  147,  189,  220,  231, 
234;  Iliad  and  Odyssey,  290-337  ;  foot- 
notes,/««//// ,-   Com.  ^\  II,  18,  167. 

Homeric  hymns,  25,  196. 

Ho-mer'ida;,  "sons  of  Homer,"  lived  in 
Chios,  and  claimed  to  be  descended 
from  Homer.  They  were  hereditary 
epic  poets;   Com.  \  11. 

Horace  (Ho-ra'tius),  2,  28,  .29;  refer- 
ences to  the  Odes,  196,  231 ;  notes  and 
transl..  Com.  \  12. 

Ho'nv,  see  Hours. 

Ho'rus,  son  of  Osiris  ;  see  Egyptian 
deities. 

Hours,  or  Seasons,  the,  51,  55,  61,  65,  72, 
197,  200. 

Hrim-thursar,  369,  371. 

Hringham,  386. 

Hugi,  374,  378. 

Hugin,  368. 

Hunding,  394,  395. 

llunland,  Huns,  392,  399;  Com.  ^\  185, 
186. 

Huns,  the,  392. 

Hy-acin'thia,  Com.  }{  38,  74. 

Hy-acin'thus,  120;   Com.  \\  74,  133-137. 

Hy'a-des,  the,  daughters  of  Atlas,  87, 
174;   Com.  \\  102,  103. 

Ilya-le,  145. 

Hy  dra,  81,  346, 349 ;  the  Lernajan,  235 ; 
Com.  \\  139-143  (Interpret.). 

Hy-ge'a,  Hy-gi'a,  daughter  of  iEscula- 
pius;  the  goddess  of  health. 

Hy-gi'nus,    references  to,  147,  182,  190, 

234,  256,  258,  273,  277 ;   Com.  \  12. 
Hy'las,    the    loss    of,    237-240  ;     Com. 

\\  139-143  (Illustr.). 
Hy'men    (Hymenae'us),   70,  185;    Com. 

M3- 
Hy-perbo'reans,    Hyp-crbo'rei,  60,    74; 

Thomas  Moore's  Song  of  a  H.,  74; 

Com.  \\  44,  73. 
Hy-pe'rion    (according    to    rule,    Hyp- 

crion),38;  cattle  of,  322;  Com.  f  17. 
Hyp-ermnes'tra,  225;  Com.  \\  133-137. 
Hyp'nos,  sec  Somnus, 


I-ac  chus,  see  Bacchus. 

I-a'sius,  251. 

Ib'ycus,  26,  213;   Com.  ^  125. 

I-ca'rius,  285,  320;  Com.^  165  (3)  gene- 
alogy. 

Ic'arus,  239,  256 ;   Com.  ^  150. 

Ic'elus,  a  producer  of  dreams;  son  of 
Somnus;   Com.  \j  113. 

I 'da.  Mount,  124,  136. 

I 'da,  the  nymph,  39. 

I'da,  the  plain,  391. 

I-doe'us,  301.  * 

I-da'lium ;  a  mountain  and  city  of  Cyprus, 
dear  to  Venus,  261, 

I 'das,  282. 

I-du'na,  369. 

Il'iad,  kind  of  myth,  5,  20;  history  of, 
25 ;  narrative  of,  290-302 ;  transl.,  Com. 
§  II;  illustr.,  167;  ciied,  see  Cowper, 
I^ng,  Pope  (Index  of  Authors). 

Il'ion,  U'ium,  198;  see  Troy. 

Ilithy'ia;  see  Eileithyia. 

rius,  (i)  son  of  Dardanus,  died  without 
issue.    (2)  son  of  Tros ;  Com.  J  165  (5) . 

In'achus,  son  of  Oceanus,  ancestor  of 
the  Argive  and  Pelasgic  races,  50; 
father  of  lo,  92,  93,  224,  255,  267 ;  Com. 
§^  59,  132  (i),  genealogical  tables. 
India,  20;  records  of  myth,  35;  epics, 
35.  36,  175 ;  studies  and  transls.  of  lit- 
erature. Com.  f  15. 
Indra;  see  under  Hindoo  deities;  Com. 

^  lOI. 

I'no,  117,  118.  219,  244,  269;    Com. }  129. 

I'o,  II ;  myth  of,  92-94 ;    Ionian  Sea,  94. 

224 ;     genealogy,    etc.,    Com.    {^   59. 

132  (5)- 

lobates,  233. 

lola'iis,  235,  239. 

lol'cos,  or  lol'cus,  245;   Com.  }  144. 

I'ole:  daughter  of  Eurytus  who  refused 
to  give  her  to  Hercules,  although  thi- 
hero  had  fairly  won  her  by  his  success 
in  archery,  Eurytus  assigned  as  rea- 
son for  his  refusal  the  apprehension 
lest  Hercules  might  a  second  time 
become  insane,  and  in  that  condition 
destroy  lole  in  spite  of  his  love  for  her. 
By  some  she  is  made  the  half-sister  cl 
Dry  ope;  241. 


512 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Ton,  Com.  §  151. 

lo'nia,  195. 

lo'nian  Sea,  94. 

lo'nians,  their  origin,  49 ;    Com.  §  132  (2), 

132(5).  151- 

Iph'i-cles,  234,  239. 

Iph-igeni'a,  281;  in  Aulis,  288;  Tenny- 
son's Dream  of  Fair  Women,  288; 
among  the  Tauriuns,  311,  312;  Com. 
^  165(2),  167. 

Iph-imedi'a,  120. 

I 'phis,  213. 

Iph'itus,  239. 

Iris,  73,  19s,  293,  300,  360. 

Iron  age,  48. 

I  sis;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Islands  of  the  Blest,  82;  see  Elysium. 

Isles,  the  Fortunate,  82;  see  Elysium. 

Is'marus,  313. 

Isme'ne,  271;   Com.  ^^  158-164. 

Isme'nus,  127. 

Istar,  Com.  {  40;  see  under  Venus. 

Isthmian  Games,  Com.  §§  152-157  (Text- 
ual). 

Italian  gods,  88-90. 

Italy,  268,  339,  343. 

Ith'aca,  20,  24,  285,  286  et  seq.,  330-335. 

It'ylus;  see  I'  tys. 

I'tys,  258. 

lu'lus,    Asca'nius,  338,    354,    355,   361, 

365- 
Ixi'on,  186,  349;  Com.  \\  icrj,  175. 

Janic'ulum,  359. 

Ja'nus,  89,  355 ;   Com.  $  56. 

Jap'etus,  38,  40;  Com.  §  17;  descend- 
ants, }  132  (5),  table  I. 

Jamvid,  385. 

Ja'sius,  Ja'sus,  la'sius,  la'sus:  the 
father  of  Atalanta  the  Arcadian. 

Ja'son,  27,  223 ;  myth  of,  244-249;  quest 
of  golden  fleece,  244  et  seq.,  254,  260 ; 
Com.  {  144-147. 

Jo-cas'ta,  270;  Com.  §§  158-164. 

Jonah,  12. 

Jonakr,  399. 

Jormunrek,  399. 

Jothani ,  2 ;  see  Judges  ix,  7. 

Jotunheim,  367,  372,  373,  388. 

Jubal,  12. 


Ju'no  (He'ra,  He're),  39,  42,  52;  attri- 
butes of,  54;  meaning  of  her  names, 
54,  55 ;  her  descent,  youth,  and  mar- 
riage, 54 ;  favorite  animals  and  cities, 
55 ;  among  the  Romans,  88 ;  Lucina, 
89 ;  protectress  of  women  in  Rome,  90 ; 
myths  of  Juno  and  Jupiter,  91-108 ; 
J.  and  10,92-94;  and  Semele,  98 ;  and 
the  sons  of  Cydippe,  108 ;  and  Bacchus, 
175, 189;  Halcyone  and  Iris,  195  ;  and 
Hercules,  234,  236,  242,  290,  293,  295, 
341.  355.  360,  365  ;   Com.  \\  34,  57-66. 

Ju'piter  (Zeus),  6,  9,  39;  war  with  Ti- 
tans, sovereign  of  world,  40;  Com. 
{  18 ;  reign,  40-42 ;  his  abode,  51 ;  his 
femily,  52;    attributes,  52-54;    signifi- 

"  cation  of  names,  52;  Com.  \  33;  his 
oracles,  52,  53;  explanation  of  his  love- 
affairs,  53 ;  other  children  of,  53 ;  Greek 
conceptions  of,  53 ;  in  art,  statue  of 
Olympian  Jove  by  Phidias,  54;  J.  and 
Athene,  56;  and  Metis,  Com.  \  57; 
and  Vulcan,  59;  and  Latona,  59,  63, 
91;  and  Dione,  65;  and  Maia,  68;  and 
Ganymede,  71 ;  and  Mnemosyne,  71 ; 
and  Eurynome,  71 ;  and  Themis,  72 ; 
and  ^sculapius,  72;  and  Semele, 
76,  96;  among  the  Romans,  88; 
myths  of  J.,  91-107;  and  Danae,  91; 
and  Alcmene,  91 ;  and  Leda,  92;  and 
lo,  92-94;  and  Callisto,  92,  94,  95; 
and  Europa,  92,  95-98;  and  Semele, 
92,  98-100;  and  --Egina,  92,  100-102; 
and  Antiope,  92,  102-104 ;  and  Baucis 
and  Philemon,  105-107 ;  his  treatment 
of  Mars,  113;  and  ^sculapius,  130; 
and  Neptune,  189 ;  Com.  \\  33,  57,  59, 
60,  61,  62,  63. 

Juven'tas ;  see  Hebe. 

Juven'tus,  90. 

Kali ;  see  Uma  under  Hindoo  divinities 

(2). 

Karma:  in  Buddhism,  the  sum  of  a 
man's  deeds,  good  and  evil,  which 
determines  the  nature  of  his  future 
existence;  see  Buddhism  and  Me- 
tempsychosis. 

Khem  ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Khuns ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL    SUBJECTS. 


513 


Kle'is,  Com.  \  99. 

Ko'ra,  Ko're  (Proserpina),    133;    Com. 

k  81. 
Kriemhild,  "  The  Revenge  of,"  33 ;  400- 

404. 
Kro'nos;  see  Cro'nus. 

Lab'dacus,  223,  224 ;  the  house  of, 
269-272;   Com.  \\  59,  132  (i),  158. 

Labyrinth,  the,  of  Crete,  255,  262. 

Lacedre'mon,  281. 

J^ch'esis,  a  Fate,  72. 

Laco'nia,  81,  136. 

La'don :  the  serpent  that  guarded  the 
apples  of  the  Hesperides;  slain  by 
Hercules. 

Laertes,  331 ;    genealogy.  Com.  §  165  (4). 

Liestrygo'nians,  the,  190,  318, 

La'Ius,  269 ;   Com.  ^  158. 

Lakshmi;    see   under  Hindoo  divinities 

(2). 
Lamb's  month.  Com.  !j  78. 
Language,  disease  of,  9,  10,  18. 
Laoc'oon,  305;   Com.  ^  169. 
I^-odami'a,     (i)    wife    of    Protesilaiis, 

288-290 ;  lines  from  Wordsworth,  289, 

290;   Com.  ^^  81,  167;   (2)  daughter  of 

Bellerophon,  295. 
Laom'edon,  136,   189,   196;    expedition 

against,  223,  240,  241,  287 ;   Com.  §§  82, 

165  (5). 

Lap'ithae,  267. 

La'res,  distinguished  fi-om  Penates, 
Manes,  I^rvte,  etc.,  89. 

Laris'sa,  134,  231 ;   Com.  ^  81. 

I^r'vae,  89. 

Lati'nus,  354-365- 

I^t'mos,  Mount,  149;   Com.  \  92. 

Lato'na,  Le'to,  her  children,  52;  and 
Delos,  63 ;  and  Jupiter,  92 ;  wander- 
ings of,  118,  119;  and  Niobe,  126, 
128 ;   Com.  \^  38,  39,  72. 

l^au'sus,  363. 

Lavin'ia,  354,  365. 

Lean'der,  164;  Com.  §  97;  see  under 
Hero. 

I^b-ade'a,  Com.  \  38. 

Le-byn'thos,  256. 

Le'da,  91 ;  see  under  Castor  and  Pollux  ; 
the  myth  ol,  represented  by  Arachne, 


III,  254,  267,  281 ;  Com.  }§  148, 165  (3), 

166. 
Le'laps,  194. 

Lem'nos,  245,  304;   Com.  §§  90,  144, 
Lem'u-res,  89. 

Le-nas'a,  Com.  ^^  46,  102,  103. 
Lemoe'an  Hy'dra,  235. 
Les'bos,  172;   Cbw».  ^  99. 
Lesser  divinities  of  heaven  among  the 

Greeks,  70-73. 
Le'the,  81,  195,  351. 
Le'to,  Com.  ^^  38,  39,  72;  see  Latona. 
Leuca'dia,  26 ;   Com.  ^  99. 
Leucothe'a,  a  sea-divinity,  87,  219,  222, 

323 ;   Com.  §  129. 
Liber,  88;  see  under  Bacchus. 
Libera,  88  ;  see  under  Proserpina. 
Li-be'thra,  188;   Com.  \  lorj. 
Lib-ili  na.  Com.  §  50. 
Lib'y-a,  124,  237 ;   Com.  {  75, 
Li'chas,  241. 
Lidskialf,  381,  383. 
Li-ge'a,  222;  Com.  }  131. 

Ligh'.  37.  38. 

Li'nus,  24;  lamentation  for,  129,  130, 
234;   Com.  ^  74,7s. 

Lit-y-er'ses,  239. 

I^okapalas;  see  under  Hindoo  divini- 
ties (2). 

Loki,  369-391, /a«m,  395. 

Lo'tis,  210. 

Lo'tos,  lotos-eaters,  313;  extract  from 
Tennyson's  p)oem,  313,  314. 

Lu'cian,  28. 

Lu'cifer ;  see  under  Phosphor, 

Luci'na,  89 ;   Com.  \  34. 

Lu'na,  90;  and  see  under  Z>/a«a,  Selene. 

Ly-ne'us,  Com.  \  46. 

Ly-ca'on,  298. 

Lyc'ia,  Com.  \  138. 

Lyc'ians,  98. 

Lye'  ius,  Apollo,  Com.  \  38. 

Lyc-ome'des,  286. 

Lyc'ophron,  Com.  \  11. 

Ly-cur'gus :  a-kingof  the  Exlones,  who, 
like  Pentheus,  resisted  the  worship  of 
Bacchus. 

Ly'cus,  102 ;   Com.  \  64. 

Ly'de,  207. 

Lyn'ceus,  225,  282. 


514 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Lyngi.  394- 

Lyric  poets,  Greek,  2^-27;  transl.  Com. 
§  II ;  Roman,  29. 

Ma-cha'on,  293,  294,  304. 

Masan'der,  124,  239,  255;  Com.  W  75, 
149. 

Masn'a-des,  Moen'  ads,  76, 102,  262 ;  Com. 
\\  64,  102,  103. 

Maen'alus,  138  ;  a  range  of  mountains  in 
Arcadia,  sacred  to  Pan. 

Maeo'nia,  176 ;   Com.  \  102,  103. 

Maeon'i-des:  A  native  of  Moeonia; 
Homer. 

Mag'na  ^fa'ter,  88. 

Mahabbdrata,  35,  36 ;   transl.  Com.  \  15. 

Ma'ia,  mother  of  Mercury  (Hermes), 
52,  68,  172 ;   Com.  \  loi. 

Ma'ia,  Ma'ja,  or  Majes'ta :  a  name  for 
Fauna,  or  for  the  daughter  of  Faunus 
and  wife  of  the  Roman  Vulcan.  In 
either  case  called  Bona  Dea. 

Man,  origin  of,  Greek,  42,  43. 

Ma'nes,  89. 

Manil'ius,  Com.  i^  12. 

Man'tua,  28. 

Mar'athon,  267. 

Maratho'nian  Bull,  26;  Com.\\  152-157 
(Interpret.). 

Ma'ro ;  see  Vergil. 

Maruts ;  see  under  Hindoo  div'mitUs  (i). 

Mars  (A'res),  one  of  the  great  gods,  52; 
attributes  of,  57,  58 ;  meaning  of  names, 
57;  his  retinue,  his  mistress,  his  favor- 
ite animals,  and  abode,  58 ;  Roman 
divinity,  88 ;  father  of  Harmonia,  98 ; 
myths  of  M.,  112-117;  M.  and  Dio- 
mede,  112;  and  Miner^'a,  113,  114; 
and  Cadmus,  114-117;  and  Vulcan, 
118,  190,  273,  290;   Com.  \\  36,  68-70. 

Mar'syas,  24 ;   Com.  §§  83  a,  104. 

Mass,  37. 

Ma-t ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Ma'ter  Matu'ta,  the  goddess  of  the 
Dawn,  Aurora ;  among  the  Romans 
applied  also  to  I  no  (Leucothea),  90. 

Ma  ter  Tur'rita  ;  Cybele,  or  Gybe 'be, 
with  the  mural  crown,  as  protectress 
of  walled  cities. 

Matrona'lia,  Com.  §  34. 


Meco'ne;  see  Sicyon. 

Me-de'a,  27  ;  myth  of,  246-249,  260; 
Com.  \\  145,  149,  genealogy. 

Med'ici,  the  Venus  of,  66,  67 ;   Com.  \  40. 

Me-du'sa,  myth  of,  225-227  ;  extract 
from  William  Morris,  Doom  of  King 
Acrisius,  226;  from  Shelley's  Medusa 
of  Da  Vinci,  227;    Com.  \\  133-137. 

Me-gEe'ra,  84. 

Megalen'sian  Games,  Com.  \  45  a. 

Meg'ara.  219,  255. 

Me-lam'pus,  22. 

Me-le'ager,  or  Me-le-a'ger,  4,  223,  241, 
245  ;  myth  of,  250-254,  273,  281 ;  Com. 
k  148. 

Melesig'e-nes,  Com.  \  11. 

Melicer'tes;  a  sea-god,  87,  219,  269; 
Com.  \  70. 

Me'lic  Nymphs,  39. 

Me-lis'seus,  Com.  \  131. 

Me'los,  Venus  of,  66 ;   Com.  \  40. 

Melpom'e-ne,  the  muse  of  tragedy,  72. 

Mem'non,  myth  of,  extract  from  Dar- 
win's Botanic  Garden,  199,303;  Com. 
kk  115.  165  (5). 

Mem 'phis  ;  a  city  in  Middle  Egypt, 
Com.  \  38. 

Men-ela'iis,  281,  285-302,  309  ;  Com. 
§  165  (2),  genealogy. 

Me-ne'nius,  2. 

Me-noe'ceus,  274;   Cb»f.  §{  158-164. 

Me-noe'tius,  son  of  Actor  and  father 
of    Patroclus  ;     an    Ai^onaut,    Com. 

§  165  (4). 

Men'tor,  Com.  §  171. 

Mentu  ;  see  under  E.gyptian  deities. 

Mer'cur)',  Mercu'rius  (Her'mes),  4; 
identified  with  Jubal,  12;  son  of  Maia, 
52;  attributes  of,  68,  69;  meaning  of 
names,  68;  conductor  of  ghosts,  81; 
among  the  Romans,  88;  Argus  and 
lo,  92-94 ;  .his  story  of  Pan  and  Syrinx, 
93;  with  Philemon  and  Baucis,  105; 
and  Psyche,  159;  myths  of,  Homeric 
hymn  to,  172,  173;  M.  and  Perseus, 
226;  and  Hercules,  238,  244,  289,  301, 
319.  323.  343;  Com.  \\  41.  loi. 

Mer'o-pe  ( i)  daughter  of  CEnopion,  146 ; 
(2)  the  Pleiad,  147;  Com.\\  91,  138, 
geneal.  table. 


Index  of  mythological  subjects. 


515 


Messe'ne,  282. 

Messe'nia,  Com.  J  78. 

Met'abus.  356. 

Metamor'phoses,  29. 

Metcmpsycho'sis,  351,  352 ;   Com.  \  175. 

Me'tis,  Com.  ^  57. 

Mezen'tius,  356,  359,  363.  364. 

Midas,  with  Apollo  and  Pan,  136,  137, 

174  ;    the  choice  of   M.,   180  ;    Com. 

k^i  83.  104. 
Midgard,  366,  367,  371,  382,  388. 
Midgard  Seqient,  370,  379,  380,  388. 
Mi-la'nion  (or  Hippomenes),  164;    see 

Com.  95. 
Mi'lo;  see  Melos. 
Mi 'mas,  Com.  \  21. 
Miner'va    (Alhe'ne),    Ruskin's  theory, 

17,  42 ;  quotation  from  Odyssey,  51 ; 

daughter  of  Jupiter,  52;  attributes  of. 


Mo'mus,  Com.  \  51,  table  B. 

Mongolians,  20. 

Mop'sus,  23. 

Mor'pheus,  196;    Com.  \  114;  see  under 

Somnus. 
Mors,  Than'atos,  Death,  295. 
Mos'chus,  Lang's  transl.  of   Idyl  II.,  95- 

97;  of  Idyl  VI..  207;    Com.  \k  n,  61. 
Mountain-giants,  369. 
Mul'ciber,  Corn.  ^  37. 
Munin,  368. 

Mu-nych'ia,  Com.  \  39 ;  see  under  Diana. 
Mu-sae'us,    (i)  mythical   poet,   23;    (2) 

writer    of    Hero   and    Leander,    166; 

transl.    by    Fawkes    in   v.   2,   English 

Transls.  from   Ancient   and    Modern 

Poems;  see  Com.  ^^  11,96. 
Mu-sag'e-tes :   Apollo,  as   leader  of  the 

Muses. 


56;    meaning  of  her  names,  56;   her.  Muses    (Mu'see),    23,    64;    names   and 


attributes,  71,  72;   fo/«.  ^  43  (4). 
Muspelheim,  366,  388. 
Mut,  or  Maut ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
My-ce'nae,  235,  236,  281.' 
.Mygdo'nian  flutes,  96;   Com.\(i\. 
Myr'midons,  102,  277,  294,  295; 

^63. 


Com. 


cegis,  56  ;    her  favorite   animals   and 

cities,  56 ;   M.  among  the  Romans,  88 ; 

myths   of  M.,   109-111;   contest  with 

Neptune,  109,  no;  with  Arachne,  log- 
in ;  quotation  from  Spenser,  Muiopot- 

mos.   III;   contests   with    Mars,    112- 

114  ;     M.    and    Cadmus,    115  ;     and 

Perseus,   225-231  ;    and    Bellerophon,    My'ron,  sculpt.  Com.  \  66. 

233 ;  and  Hercules,  234,  238,  258,  285,    Myr'rha,  150,  172. 

290,   299,   305,  312,   324,    326  ;     Com.    Myr'tilus,  191. 

h\  35.  67.  69.  I  Mys'ia,!  199,  239,  245;    Com.  §  115. 

Mi-no'Id   ( Minols),  .\riadne,  daughter  of    Mysteries  of  Elcusis.  Com.  ^§  105,  106. 

Minos,  260-266.  Myth,  stages  of  mythological  philosophy, 

Minos  I.,   judge  of  the  shades,  81,  83,  !      study  of  myth,  see  Introduction;  defi- 

84 ;   son  of  Europa,  97,  223,  224 ;  the 


house   of.  255-257,  347;    Com.   §§  59,1 

132  (1),  149. 
Minos  II.,  219;  myths  of,   2155-257.261, 

281. 
Min'otaur,    255,  260-265;    Com.  §§   149, 

152-157  (Interpret.). 
Min'y-£e:    descendants  of  Minyas,  king 

of  Thessaly ;  Argonauts. 
Mist,  37. 
Mne-mos'y-ne,  mother  of  the  Muses,  38, 

71 ;   Com.  §  17. 
Mce'rae,   Par'c.t;    see  Fates. 
Mce-rag'e-tes  :    a  name  applied  to  Zeus 

as  leader  of  tlie  Fates. 
Moly,  319. 


nition  of,  i ;  compared  with  fable,  i- 
3;  of  existent  races,  2;  kinds  of,  3; 
explanatory,  3 ;  assthetic,  4 ;  aesthetic 
myth  is  historic  or  romantic,  5 ;  of 
unconscious  growth.  5;  divisions  of 
inquiry.  5.  Origin  and  Elements  of 
Myth,  5-18 :  the  reasonable  element, 
6;  part  played  by  imagination,  6;  and 
by  belief,  7 ;  the  unreasonable  element, 
8 ;  theories  of,  8 ;  theory  of  deteriora- 
tion, 8-13;  theory  of  progress,  13-18. 
Interpretation,  methods  of:  historical 
or  Euhemerisiic,  9 ;  philological,  9-11 ; 
allegorical,  11 ;  theological,  12;  the 
mental  state  of  savages,  13;  senseless 
element,  a  su.-vival,  14;  other  germs 


■  Pronounce  Misk'ia. 


516 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


than  savage  curiosity  and  credulity, 
15 ;  phases  of  myth-development,  15- 
17;  physical,  religious,  and  moral  im- 
port, 16,  17;  myth,  more  than  'sham 
history,'  18 ;  general  conclusion  con- 
cerning elements  of  myth,  18.  Distri- 
bution of  myth,  19-21 :  theories  of 
accident,  borrowing,  origination  in  In- 
dia, historical  tradition,  19;  Aryan 
germ,  psychological  basis,  20 ;  the  state 
of  the  problem,  21.  Preservation  of 
Myth,  22-36 :  in  Greece,  22-28 ;  in 
Italy,  28,  29;  in  Scandinavian  lands, 
30-33;  in  Germany,  33,  34;  in  the 
Orient,  34-36.  Greek  Myths  of  Crea- 
tion, 37-50:  Greek  Myths  of  great 
divinities  of  heaven,  91-173 ;  of  great 
divinities  of  earth,  174-180 ;  of  earth 
and  underworld,  181-188  ;  of  waters, 
189-191 ;  of  lesser  divinities  of  heaven, 
192-199;  of  lesser  divinities  of  earth 
and  underworld,  200-214;  of  lesser 
divinities  of  waters,  215-222 ;  of  the  old- 
er heroes,  223-272;  of  the  younger 
heroes,  273  et  seq. ;  of  the  Norse  gods, 
366-391;  of  Norse  and  Old  German 
heroes,  392-403.  Interpretation  and 
illustration  of  myths:  Commentary, 
sections  corresponding  to  those  of  the 
Text. 

Mythical  musicians  and  poets,' 23,  24. 

Mythical  prophets,  22,  23. 

Mythical  tales  of  the  younger  Edda,  32. 

Na'iad,  the,  poem  by  R.  Buchanan,  207, 
208. 

Na'iads  (Nai'a-des),  87,  125,  204,  215, 
221;   Com.  \\  52-54,  120. 

Na'is,  203;   Com.  \  xi6. 

Nala,  episode  of,  35. 

NalopAkhydnam,  transl.  Com.  \  15. 

Names,  Greek  and  Latin,  system  of  trans- 
literation; preface,  52;  and  of  pronun- 
ciation ;  introduction  to  Index. 

Nanna,  383,  384;   Com.  \\  177-184. 

Narcissus,  207;  Com.  §  ii8. 

Nausic'aa,  324 ;   Com.  §  171. 

Nausith'oiis,  324. 

Nax'os,  175,  176,  178,  189,  266;  Com. 
\  102,  103. 


Nefer  Atum  ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Neith ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Ne'mea,  the  city,  the  valley,  and  the 
lion  of,  235 ;   Com.  §  139. 

Neme'an  Games,  founded  by  Hercules ; 
held  in  honor  of  Jupiter ;  Com.  §§  152- 
157  (Textual), 

Nem'esis,  72 ;  Com.  J  43  (7)  ;  genealogy, 
Co7n.  51. 

Neoptol'emus,  304. 

Nepen'the,  309. 

Neph,  Chnuphis,  Knum,  Num  or  Nu; 
see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Neph'e-le,  145,  244. 

Nephthys ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Nep'tune  (Neptu'nus,  Po-si'don),  26, 
39,  40,  48,  52;  founder  of  younger 
dynasty  of  the  waters,  85,  86 ;  among 
the  Romans,  88 ;  contest  with  Minerva, 
109;  N.  and  Iphimedia,  120,  124;  and 
Laomedon,  136,  189;  father  of  Orion, 
146;  myths  of,  189-191;  N.  and  An- 
dromeda, 189,  228;  and  Apollo,  189; 
and  Hercules,  189;  sons  of  N.,  190; 
N.  and  Amymone,  and  Ceres,  and 
Arne,  and  Tyro,  and  Pelops,  190,  209, 
220,  222,  236-238,  240,  255,  290,  292, 
298,  305.  342,  343;  Com.  i\  52-54; 
table  C,  genealogy. 

Ne'rei'ds,  the  (Nere'i-des),  85,  97,  124, 
256. 

Nereus,  85,  215,  222. 

Nes'sus,  241. 

Nes'tor,  199,  245,  254,  287,  292,  294-296. 

Netherlands,  400-404. 

Nibelungenlied,  theories  of  origin,  33, 
34,  400-404. 

Niblungs  (Nibelungs,  Nibelungen),397- 
403  ;  lay  of  the  N.,  400-404  ;  Com. 
^\  185,  186. 

Ni-can'der,  Com.  \  11. 

Nidhogge,  367. 

Nifiheim,  366,  367,  370,  372,  388;  Com. 
§§  185,  186. 

Night,  Nyx,  Nox;  mother  of  Fates  and 
of  Nemesis,  72, 195,  214;  geneal.  table. 
Com.  §  51. 

Ni'ke,  73;  see  Victoria. 

Nile,  the  river,  189;   Com.  §  133. 

Nimrod,  12. 


INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


517 


Ni'nus,  170. 

Ni'o-be,  104 ;  the  punishment  of,  126- 
129;  quotation  from  Landor's  Niobe, 
129,  190  ;  genealogy,  interpretation, 
etc..  Com.  ^  77. 

Nirva'na  :  annihilation,  or  absorption  in- 
to the  Infinite,  of  the  Karma  (human 
character,  or  soul)  after  it  has  passed 
through  innumerable  existences,  and 
learned  the  virtuous  life ;  see  under 
Buddha. 

Ni'sus,  (i)  father  of  Scylla,  219  (2) ; 
friend  of  Euryalus,  360-362. 

Noah  and  Deucalion,  12. 

No'mios,  No'mius;  an  epithet  applied 
to  Apollo,  as  the  Pasturer  or  Herds- 
man ;  see  241-245 ;   Cont.  §  38,  on  .,•//•/. 

Noms,  367,  368,  382,  397. 

Norse  gods,  myths  of,  2,  366-391 ;  Com. 
kk  177-184. 

Norse  heroes,  myths  of,  392-399;  Com. 
kk  177-185. 

Norse  mythology,  records  of,  30-33  ; 
narrative,  392-399  ;  translations  and 
authorities,  30-33  «,  and  Com.  ^§  177- 
186. 

North  American  Indians,  mental  state 
of,  13,  20. 

Norway,  Norsemen,  14,  20 ;  Com.  {§  177- 
184. 

No'tus,  72. 

Nox,  Nyx:  see  Night. 

Nu'ma  Fompil'ius,  89;   Com.  §  36. 

Nut ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 

Nyc'teus,  102;   Com.  ^  64. 

Nymphs,  the,  77,  199,  204,  205;  Com. 
§117. 

Ny'sa,  Nysian-bom,  266.  Three  cities 
bore  the  name  of  Nysa,  —  in  Caria, 
in  Palestine,  and  in  India.  The  last 
is  here  referred  to.  Com.  ^^  46,  102, 
103. 

Nysae'an  Nymphs,  174. 

Nyx,  Nox;  see  Night. 

Oasis,    in     Libya,    oracle    of    Jupiter 

Ammon,  53. 
Oblivion,  valley  of,  351. 
Ocean,  the  river,  37,  74,  75. 
Oce'anids,  85,  87. 


Oce'anus,  the  Titan,  38,  40,  55;  older 
dynasty  of  the  waters,  85,  95,  222  ; 
Com.  ^§  17,  52. 

Ocyr'rhoe,  130. 

Odin,  9,  366-371, 380-391,  392-399 ;  Com. 
§§  177-184. 

Odysseus;  see  under  Ulysses  and  Odys- 
sey. 

Od'yssey,  kind  of  myth,  5,  20;  cited,  22; 
history  of,  25 ;  narrative  of,  313-337 ; 
transl.    and    authorities,    Com.   f'li; 

hk  171-174. 

CEcha'lia,  241;   Com.  W  139-143. 

CEd'ipus,  mentioned,  27,  117,  223,  224; 
myth  of,  269-272 ;  and  the  Sphinx, 
270;  Q^d.,  King,  270  ;  at  Colonus,  271, 
272;  extracts  from  Plumptre's  transl. 
of  Sophocles,  Gid.  King  and  CEd.  Co- 
lon, Com.  \\  158-164. 

CE'neus,  142,  241,  250. 

Qilnom'aus,  190. 

CEno'ne,  4,  304,  305;   Com.  §  169. 

CEno'pion  ;  the  father  of  Merope;  a 
king  of  Chios,  see  Orion. 

(E'te,  Mount,  124,  241 ;   Com.  §§  75, 139- 

143. 

O'Ircles,  father  of  Amphiaraiis;  grand- 
father of  Alcmreon. 

Olympian  religion,  the.  Com.  \  32  ; 
table  A. 

0-lym'pic  Games,  Com.  ${  152-159 
(Textual). 

O-lym'pus,  Mount,  124. 

0-lym'pus,  home  of  Greek  gods  of 
heaven,  2,  40;  located  and  described, 
51 ;  Homer's  conception  of,  51,  52,  74, 
myths  of  greater  gods  of,  91-173;  of 
lesser  gods  of,  192-199,  200. 

Om'ph^-le,  239. 

O-phi'on,  Com.  {§  17,  71. 

Ops,  88. 

Oracles,  Delphi,  39,  61,  74 ;  Dodona,  52, 
53;  of  Jupiter  Ammon  in  Oasis,  53; 
of  Trophonius.  Com.  \  38;  of  the  dead, 

81,  153.  15s.  195.  343.  353- 
Orchom'enos,  Orchom'enus,  234;    Com. 

hk  139-143- 
Or'cus ;  see  Pluto,  83,  88. 
O're-ads     (Ore'a-des),     the,     77,    204, 

209. 


SIS 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITEKATURE. 


O-res'tes,  214,  281,  310-313 ;    Com.  \  165 

(2) ;  genealogy,  \  170. 
Oriental  mythology,  records  of,  34-36. 
Origin  of  the  world :  Greek,  37 ;  of  the 

gods,  38  ;  of  man,  42,  43 ;   Norse,  366, 

367- 
O-ri'on,  26,  73;  myth  of,  146,  147,  190; 

Coin.  \  91. 
Or-ithy'ia,  daughter  of  Erechtheus,  king 

of  Athens,  loved  by  Boreas,  72,  73. 
Ormuzd,  36. 
Or'pheus,  23,  37,  223,  245,  282,  350;  and 

Eiirydice,  185-188;   Com.  \  107;  cited, 

37- 

Orphic  hymns,  23. 

Or'thia,  Com.  §  39 ;  see  Diana. 

Ortyg'ia,  145 ;   Com.  \  88. 

Osi'ris,  mentioned,  19;  see  under  Egyp- 
tian deities. 

Os'sa,  Mount,  120,  124;  Com.  §75;  in 
Thessaly.  By  piling  Ossa  on  Pelion 
the  Titans  Cceus  and  Japetus,  and  the 
monster  Typhoeus  thrice  attempted 
to  scale  Olympus,  but  were  as  often 
beaten  back  by  the  lightnings  of  Jove. 
Verg.  Georgics,  i :  281. 

O'thrys :  the  mountain  in  Thessaly  oc- 
cupied by  the  Titans  in  their  war  with 
Jupiter  and  the  other  Olympians. 

Otter,  395. 

O'tus,  120. 

Ov'id  (O-vid'ius),  transl..  Com.  §  12  ; 
also  the  Metam.  in  15  books  by  vari- 
ous authors,  published  by  Sir  Samuel 
Garth,  in  v.  2.  English  Translation  from 
Ancient  and  Modern  Poems,  3  v., 
Lond.  1810;  account  of  O.  and  his 
poems,  28,  29 ;  references  to  his  works, 
92,  95,  98,  100,  106,  no.  III,  117,  119, 
121,  123,  129.  136,  138,  141,  145,  147, 
149,  162,  167,  170,  172,  175,  179,  i8i, 
182,  185,  192,  194,  206,  209,  212,  217, 
219,  220,  221,  234,  244,  247,  248,  255, 
256,  258,  277. 

Pacto'lus,  179 ;  Com.  §  104. 
Pa'dus,  or  Po,  the  river,  350. 
Pae'an,    Pte'on,    Paie'on,    heals    Mars, 
113 ;   Com.  §§  32,  68. 


Pae'an,  the  chant,  60;    Com.  \  68. 

Pakht,  and  Bast;  see  under  Egyptian 
deities. 

Palas'mon,  219;  see  Melicertes. 

Pal-ame'des,  285,  286. 

Pa'les,  89. 

Pal-inu'rus,  343,  344,  347;   Com.  \  174. 

Palla'dium,  305-309. 

Pal'las,  name  of  Athena,  42;  Com.  \  35; 
see  Minerva. 

Pal'las,  son  of  Evander,  357-364. 

Pal'las,  the  Giant,  41,  42. 

Pan,  described,  77 ;  Pandaean  pipes,  93, 
200;  contest  with  Apollo,  136,  174; 
and  the  personification  of  Nature,  200- 
204;  extracts  from  Milton,  Mrs.  Brown- 
ing, reference  to  Schiller,  200,  201 ; 
E.  C.  Stedman's  Pan  in  Wall  Street, 
202-204,  208,  213;   Com.  ^  117. 

Pan-at)iena;'a,  Com.  \\  35.  152-157. 

Pande'mos,  Com.  \  40;  see  Venus. 

Pandi'on,  258  ;   Com.  \  151. 

Pando'ra,  2;  creation  of,  44;  wife  of 
Epimetheus,  45 ;  her  casket,  45  ;  Com. 
ii\  22-25. 

Pan'drosos,  daughter  of  Cecrops;  see 
Herse. 

Pan'ope,  115;   Com.  \  70. 

Pa'phian,  Com.  \  40;  see  Venus. 

Pa'phos,  66,  150,  172;   Com.  \  93. 

Papy'ri,  the  sacred,  35. 

Par'cae,  Mce'roe ;  see  Fates. 

Par'is,'  the  judgment  of,  285 ;  and  Helen, 
285,  287,  293;  and  Achilles,  304;  and 
Qinone,  304, 305 ;  Com.  \^  165  (5).  167. 

Parnas'sus,  Mount,  in  Phocis,  49,  60,  61, 
124,  139;   Com.  {{43  (4).  75. 

Pa'ros,  215. 

Parthe'nius,  Com.  \  11. 

Par'thenon,  Com.  \\  35,  152-157. 

Parthenopse'us,  273. 

Parthen'ope,  222,  321. 

Par'thenos,  the  Virgin :  a  title  of  Athene. 

Parvati ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (2) . 

Pasiph'ae,  255,  256;   Com.  \  149. 

Pasith'ea:  (i)  a  Nereid;  (2)  one  of  the 
Graces. 

Patro'clus,  or  Pat'ro-clus,  293,  296;  Com. 
^165(4). 

'  By  rule  for  English  pronunciation  this  should  be  Pa'n's,  even  though  the  penultimate 
vowel  is  short. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL  SUBJECrS. 


519 


Patronymics,  Com.  \  76. 

Fausa  nias,  28 ;    references  to,  149,  255, 

258,  273,  276,  303 :   Com.  \  34. 
Pegasus,  myth  of,  231-233;   Com.  \  138. 
Pei'tho,  Suade'Ia :  goddess  of  Persuasion. 
Pela'gia,  Com.  \  40;  see  Venus. 
Pelas'gic.  dominion  of  the  Greeks,  49; 

descent,  50. 
Pelas  gus,    son    or    grandson    of    Pho- 
roneus,    50,    223,    224;     Com.    \\  59, 

132  (5)- 

Pe'leus,  223,  241,  245,  254;  myth  of  P. 
and  Thetis,  277-281 ;  transl.  of  Catul- 
lus LXIV.  by  C.  M.  Gayley,  278-281; 
family  of  P.,  Com.  \  165  (i). 

Pe'lias,  132,  190,  244;  daughters  of,  248, 
249;   Com.  \^  81,  147. 

Peli'des,  Com.  \  76. 

Pe'lion,  Mount,  120,  278;  Com.  \  75; 
see  under  Ossa. 

Peloponne'sus,  50. 

Pe'lops,  126;  and  Hipptodamia,  190,223, 

259,  281 ;  genealogy,  etc.,  Com.  }{  77, 
165(2). 

Pena'tes,  described,  89. 

Penelope,  285,  330-335. 

Pene'us,  river,  137,  139,  236;   Com.  \  83. 

Penthesile'a,  303. 

Pen'thens,  117,  174,  175;  Com.  \\  102, 
103,  158-164. 

Pephre'do:  one  of  the  Grzeae. 

Perdix,  257. 

Peri-e'res,  Com.  \  132  (2),  132  (5). 

Periphe'tes,  or  Peripha'tes,  260. 

Perse'is :  daughter  of  Perses,  wife  of 
Helios,  and  mother  of  Pasiphae,  Ari- 
adne, Phaedra,  and  iEetes;  see  Com. 
table  H. 

Perseph'one,  81 ;  see  Proser'pina. 

Per'seus,  27 ;  myth  of,  225-231 ;  and 
Medusa,  225  ;  and  Atlas,  227 ;  and  An- 
dromeda, 228  et  seq. ;  and  Acrisius, 
225,  231;  lines  fi-om  Kingsley  and  Mil- 
man,  229,  234;   Com.  ^^  133-137. 

Per'sia,  20;  records  of  P.  myth,  36; 
studies.  Com.  §  15. 

Personification,  to-day,  6;  among  sav- 
ages, 7. 

Pes'sinus,  and  Pes'inus,  Com.  {  45  a. 

Pet'asus,  the,  68. 


Phaia'cia,    323-330  ;    Lang's    Song    of, 

327,  328 ;    Com.  \  172. 
Phas'dra,  268;    Com.  ^  149,  genealogy; 

§§  152-157  (Illustr.). 
Pha'drus,  2. 
Pha'ethon,  Pha'eton,  4;    myth  of,  121- 

125;   Com.  {  75. 
Phan'tasus,  a  son  of  Somnus;  see  under 

Sleep;  Com.  ^113. 
Pha'on,    26,    162 ;    myth    of,    171,   172; 

Com.  ^  99. 
Pha'ros,  island,  220 ;   Com.  ^  130. 
Pharsa'lus:  a  city  in  Thessaly ;  Pharsa'- 

lia :  the  region  thereabout. 
Pha'sis,  the  river.  Com.  ^^  139-143. 
Phe'rae;   capital  of  Thessalia   Pelasgio- 

tis,  home  of  Admetus. 
Phid'ias  (Phi'dias),  his  Olympian  Jove, 

54;  Homer's  lines  in  Iliad,  54;    Com. 

^k  35.  40.  43.  45  «.  66. 
Phile'mon   and   Baucis,   myth   of,   105  ; 

Swift's  burlesque,  106. 
Philocfe'tes,  242,  304;   Com.  §  169. 
Philome'la,  258  ;   Com.  ^  151. 
Phi'neus,  229,  246,  339;   Com.  §  144. 
Phleg'ethon,  78,  348. 
Pho'bos  (Fear),  a  son  and  attendant  of. 

Mars,  58. 
Pho'cis,  258. 
Phoe'be    (the  shining  one):   (i)  Diana, 

160;    Com.  J§  39,  92;    (2)  one  of  the 

Titans,  91 ;   Com.  !^  17. 
Phoe'bus,  Com.  ^^  36,  38;  see  Apollo. 
Phcenix,  292. 
Pho'lus,  235. 
Phor'bas,  343. 
Phor'cys  and  Ceto,  their  offspring,  86, 

219. 
Phoro'neus,   son   of  Inachus,   50,   224  ; 

Com.  ^^  59,  132  (5). 
Phos'phor,  73,  192.  194. 
Phryg'ia.  105,  175. 

Phryx'us, 244;  Com.^^  144-147  (Interp.). 
Phtha,  Ptah  ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
Phthi'a,  277. 
Pier'i-des;    the  Muses  as  daughters   of 

Pierus,   king  of  Thessaly,  or  as   fre- 
quenters of  Mount  Pierus. 
Pi'erus,  Mount,  in  Thessaly,  172;   Com. 

\  loi. 


520 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Pillars  of  Hercules,  237;   Com.  §^  139- 

143- 
Pin'dar  (Pin'darus),  26,  27;   references 

to,  82,  190;  transl..  Com.  ^  11. 
Pin'dus,  Mount,  124. 
Pi-ree'us,  261. 
Pire'ne,  233 ;  a  fountain  in  Corinth,  said 

to  have  started  from  the  ground  (like 

Hippocrene)  under  a  kick  of  Pegasus. 
Pisis'tratus,  24. 
Pi-rith'oiis,  254,  267,  282. 
Pit'theus,  259 ;   Com.  tables  F,  I,  and  M, 

§f  77'  132  (S)  B.  151.  165  (2). 
Pleasure,  159. 
Pleiads     (Ple'ia-des,    or    Ple-i'-a-des), 

daughters  of  Atlas,  87;  myth  of,  147, 

148 ;   Com.  §  91. 
Plenty,  goddess  of,  221. 
Plexip'pus,  251,  253. 
Plu'to,  Aides,  Ades,  Hades,  39,  40;  his 

abode,    78  ;    attributes,    83  ;     or    the 

Roman   Orcus,   88,   124;    and   /Escu- 

lapius,  130;  carries  off  Proserpine,  181, 

190,  248,  267,  345 ;   Com.  if  ^  49, 105, 106. 
Plu'tus,  Com.  ^  49. 
Poe'na:    (i)  Greek,  an  attendant,  with 

Dik'e      and     Erinys,    of    Nemesis  ; 

(2)    Latin,    goddess    of   punishment. 

Poenae,  sometimes  the  Furies. 
Poets  of  mythology :   in  Greece,  24-27 ; 

in  Rome,  28-29;  see,  in  general,  under 

Mylh  {Preservation  of). 
Poli'tes,  308. 
Pol'lux,  Polydeu'ces,  223,  245,  254,  281; 

Com.  §  165  (3). 
Polybo'tes,  Com.  §  21. 
Pol'ybus,  269. 
Polycli'tus,  orPolycletus,  108;  (Sculpt.), 

Com.  §§  34,  66. 
Polydec'tes,  225;  punished  by  Perseus, 

230  (2)  ;  Pluto,  Com.  §  49. 
Pol'ydore  (Polydo'rus) :  (i)  son  of  Priam, 

339;    (2)  son  of  Cadmus,  269;    Com. 

§158. 
Pol-yhym'nia  (Po-lym'nia),  the  muse  of 

sacred  poetry,  72. 
PolyI'dus,  233. 
Polynesians,    mental     development    of 

savages,  14,  19,  21. 
Polyni'ces,  272-276;  Com.  {§  158-164. 


Polyphe'mus,  190;  and  Galatea,  Lang's 
transl.  of  Theocritus  VL  and  XL, 
215-217,  314-317,  341;  Com.  $§  126, 
171. 

Polyphon'te,  172. 

Polyx'ena,  280,  303,  308;  Com.  {J  165 
(5).  169. 

Pomona,  quotation  from  Macaulay's 
Prophecy  of  Capys,  89,  90;  and  Ver- 
tumnus,  myth  of,  extract  from  Thom- 
son's Seasons,  212,  213;  Com.  ^^  56, 
124. 

Pon'tus,  region  near  the  Black  Sea, 
Ovid's  Letters  from,  29. 

Pon'tus,  the  sea-god,  85,  218. 

Porphyr'ion,  a  giant,  42. 

Portha'on,  genealogy,  Com.  ^^  132  (3), 

(5).  148. 
Portum'nus,  219;  see  Melicertes. 
Posi'don,  Posei'don,  see  under  Neptune. 
Praxit  e-Ies,  a  Greek  sculptor.  Com.  ^§40, 

41.  56,  93- 

Pri'am  (Pri'amus),  23,  199,  241;  Trojan 
War,  287,  291,  298,  299, 300-308 ;  Com. 
$^  165  (5),  168. 

Pria'pus ;  a  Roman  god  of  increase ; 
promoter  of  horticulture  and  viticul- 
ture. 

Prithivi ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 

Proc'ne  (Prog'ne),  258;   Com.  }  151. 

Pro'cris,  the  Death  of,  by  Andrew  Lang, 
193,  194;   Com.  if  112. 

Procrus'tes,  190,  260. 

Prod'icus  of  Chios  ;  contemporary  of 
Socrates ;  author  of  the  story  of  the 
Choice  of  Hercules. 

Proe'tus,  233. 

Progress,  theory  of,  in  mythology,  8,  13- 
18. 

Prome'theus,  2,  27,  40;  a  creator,  42, 43 ; 
champion  of  man,  44  ;  chained  on 
Mount  Caucasus,  45 ;  his  secret,  45 ; 
quotations  from  Byron  and  Longfellow, 
45-48;  father  of  Atlas,  87,  223,  241, 
277,  279;   Com.  §§  22-25. 

Proper'tius,  29. 

Proser'pina  (Perseph'o-ne),  78  ;  Swin- 
burne's Garden  of  P.,  79,  80 ;  attributes, 
83;  or  Libera,  88;  and  Psyche,  157, 
158 ;  the  rape  of  P.,  181 ;  Ceres'  search 


INDEX  OF  MYTHOLOGICAL    SUBJECTS. 


521 


for  P.,  182-184,  238,  345;  Com.  \\  50, 

105,  106. 
Protesila'iis,  288;  se6»  under  Laodamia. 
Pro'teus,   86,   87  ;    and    Aristajus,   220; 

Com.  \\  52-54;  geneal.  table  C,  \  130. 
Psam'a-the,  129,  138. 
Pseu'do-Musteus,  Com.  §  96  ;  see  under 

Musceus. 
Psy'che,  myth  of,  152-161 ;  extracts  from 

William  Morris's  Earthly  Paradise,  155, 

158 ;  T.  K.  Harvey's  Cupid  and  Psyche, 

159,  160  ;    Keats's   Psyche,  160,  161  ; 

Com.  \  94. 
Psych-opom'pus,  Mercury  as  guide   of 

ghosts  to  the  underworld,  69,  79. 
Pthah  ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
Purpose  of  this  work,  i. 
Pyanep'sia,  Com.  ^  38. 
Pygma'lion,   fabled   sculptor,    162;    and 

the  statue,  167-170;  extracts  from  A. 

Lang's  New  Pygmalion,  168, 169;  from 

William  Morris's  Pygmalion  and  the 

Image,  169;   Com.  \  97. 
Pygma'lion,  king  of  Tyre,  342, 
Pygmies,  238,  239;   Com.  \\  139-143. 
Pyl'a-des,  310;   Com.\\-]o. 
Py'los,  24,  172,  241;    Com.  \\  loi,  139- 

143- 

Pyr'amus,  162;   Com.  §  98. 

Pyr'rha,  and  Deucalion,  49,  224 ;  Com. 
^  29;  genealogy,  \  132(5). 

Pyr'rhus,  or  Nteoptol'emus,  308,  309; 
Com.  \  165  (i). 

Py-thag'oras :  a  philosopher  of  Samos, 
about  550  B.C. ;  his  doctrine  of  metemp- 
sychosis, 351,  352,  and  Com.  \  175. 

Pyth'ia,  Com.  \  39;  see  Diana, 

Pythian  games,  61 ;  Com.  \\  152-157 
(Textual). 

Py'thon,  60;   Cow.  {§  38,  73. 

Py'thoness,  Com.  \  38. 

Quiri'nus,  89. 

Ra ;  see  under  Egyptian  divinities. 
Rakshasas ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities. 
RAmSyana,   35,  36;    c/.  with   Iliad,  36; 

paraphrase  of.  Com.  §  15. 
R9.vana,  35. 
Regin,  394,  395. 


Reim-thursar,  Rime  or  Frost  giants ;  see 

Hrim-thursar. 
Re'mus,  365. 
Rerir,  392. 
Rhad-aman'thus,  8r,  83,  84;  son  of  Eu- 

ropa,  97,  234,  255,  349. 
Rhamnu'sia:    Nemesis,  from   Rhamnus 

in  Attica,  where  she  was  specially  wor- 
shipped;  Cotn.  ^  175. 
Rhapsodists,  the,  25. 
Rhe'a,   38,  39,  55,  76;    or  the   Roman 

Magna   ^Iater,  88,  175;    Com.  ^^  17, 

45  a,   102,  103,   131 ;   see  also  under 

Cybele. 
Rhine,  399,  400-404. 
Rhod'o-pe,  a  mountain  range  in  Thrace, 

124;   Com.  ^  75. 
Rhod'o-pe,  Aeon   and,  Landor's  poem, 

Com.  J  123. 
Rhoe'cus,   myth    of,    210-212;    extracts 

from  Lowell's  Rhoecus,  210-212;  Com. 

}  123. 
Rhoe'tus,  Com.  ^  21. 
Rishis,  35. 

River  ocean,  37;  see  Ocean. 
Rock,  the  white,  81. 
Rodmar,  394.  395. 
Roman  divinities,  88-90. 
Rome,  358,  365. 
Rom'ulus,  89,  365. 
Runes,  30,  368 ;   Com.  §  13. 
Ru'tuli,  354,  357. 
Rymer,  389. 

Sabri'na,  222. 

Saemund  the  Wise,  32. 

3agas,  the,  33 ;  S.  of  the  Volsungs,  392 ; 

Com.  ^  185. 
Sa'lii,  Com.  {  36. 
Salmo'neus,  349. 
Sa'mos,  256 ;   Com.  ^  40. 
Sam-othra'ce,  or  Sam-ofhra'cia,  282;  an 

island  near  the  coast  of  Thrace. 
Samson,  12. 
Sanskrit,  studies  and  translations.  Com. 

Sappho    (pron.  Saffo),   26,    172;    Com, 

§99- 
Saram^,  Com.  §  41. 
Sirameyas,  Com.  J  41. 


522 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  JiV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Sarasvati ;  see  Vach  under  Hindoo  divin- 
ities (2) . 

Sarpe  don,  song,  Jove  and  Europa,  98. 

Sarpe'don,  song  of  Jove  and  Laodamia 
in  the  Trojan  War,  287,  295. 

Sat'urn  (Satur'nus),  the  attempts  to 
identify  him  with  Cronus,  88 ;  and 
Cronus  with  Chronos,  11,  354,  358; 
Com.  \^  17,  56. 

Sat-urna'lia,  88. 

Satur'nia,  359. 

Sa'tyrs,  76 ;  described,  yj,  174,  175,  190 ; 
extract  from  R.  Buchanan's  Satyr,  204, 
205,  207,  213,  266;    Com.  ^  117. 

Savitar;    see    under    Hindoo   divinities 

(I). 
Sche'ria,  324. 
Sco'pas :  a  Greek  sculptor  of  Paros,  first 

half  of  4th  century  B.C. ;  he  made  the 

Niobe  group;  see  also  Com.  ^  43. 
Scyl'la,  described,  86 ;  and  Glaucus,  217 ; 

and    Xisus,  219,   264,  321,  341 ;    Com. 

§^  52-54;  geneal.  table  C. 
Scy  ros,  268,  287. 

Scyth'ia,  124,  209,  311 ;   Com.  §  75. 
Sea ;  see  Haters. 
Sea-monsters    and    Hesione,   189;    and 

Andromeda,  228;  see  under  Gods  0/ 

the  Waters. 
Seb ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
Sele'ne,  63,  73,  75;  and  Endymion,  149; 

Com.  \  92;  see  under  Diana. 
Sem'ele,  76,  92;  myth  of,  98-100;  E.  R. 

Sill's  p)oem,  Semele,  99,  100,  117,  174, 

269 ;   Com.  W  46,  62. 
Semir'amis,  170;   Com.\^. 
Semitic  races,  21.  ^ 

Sem'nae;  see  Furies. 
Sen'eca,  29 ;  references  to  tragedies,  234. 
Sera'pis,  Sara'pis;   see  under  Egyptian 

deities. 
Serimnir,  368. 
Srti'phus,  225,  228. 
Ses'tos,  164. 

Set,  or  Seth ;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
Shu;  see  under  Egyptian  deities. 
Sibyl,  344-353 ;   Com.  \  174. 
Si-chaj'us,  342. 
Sicily,  142,  256. 
Sic'yon,  or  Meco'ne,  44. 


Siegelind,  400. 

Siegfried,  400-404;   Com.  \\  185,  i86. 

Siggeir,  392-394.     t 

Sigi,  392,  399- 

Sigmund,  392-395.  399- 

Signy.  392-394- 

Siguna,  387. 

Sigurd,  394-399 ;  Com.\\  185,186;  and 
see  under  Siegfried. 

Sile'ni,  76,  203,  204,  205,  266  ;  Com. 
h  104. 

Sile'nus,  174. 

Silva'nus ;  see  Sylvanus. 

Silver  Age,  44. 

Simon 'i-des  of  Ceos,  26,  27. 

Sinfioili,  394. 

Si'non,  307;   Com.  \  169. 

Si'rens,  described,  86 ;  and  Ulysses,  320, 
321 ;   Com.  \\  52-54,  geneal.  table  C. 

Sir'ius,  147. 

Sis'yphus,  betrays  Jove,  100  ;  marries 
Mereope,  147,  186,  217,  231,244,349; 
Com.  \\  107,  175  ;  genealogy,  \\  95, 
132  (2),  132  (5);  illustr.,  175. 

Siva ;  see  under  Indian  deities. 

Skaldic  poetry,  30;  Skalds,  30,  31. 

Skidbladnir,  387. 

Skirnir's  journey,  32,  379. 

Skrymir,  373-379. 

Skuld,  367. 

Sleep  (Somnus,  Hypnos),  84;   cave  of, 

195.295.343;   Com.\wi. 
Sleipnir,  382-384. 

Smin'theus,  Apollo,  Com.  \\  38,  85. 
Smin'thia,  Com.  \  38. 
Smyr'na,  24. 
Sol  (Helios),  90,  189. 
Soma;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 
Som'nus;  see  Sleep. 
Soph'o-cles,  27;  references  to,  234,  269- 
272,   274-276,   303,    304,    310  ;    transl. 
Com.  ^  \\. 
So'phron,  Com.  \  46. 
South-American    savages,    mental   state 

of,  13. 
Spar'ta  (Lacedoe'mon),  241,  281,  309. 
Sphinx,  270;   Com.  \\  158-164. 
Sri ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (2). 
Stars,  the,  192,  194;   Com.  \  113,  table  H. 
Sta'tius,  references  to  the  Sylvse,  213 ;  to 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


523 


the  Thebaid,  273 ;  to  the  Achilleid,  277, 

304;   Com.  \  12. 
Ster'o-pe ;  one  of  the  Pleiads. 
Ster'o-pes,  Com.  \  17. 
Stesich'orus,  26. 
Sthenebce'a,  or  Sthenoboea :  enamored 

of  Bellerophon  ;  a  daughter  of  lobates. 
Sthen'elus,  136. 
Sthe'no ;  daughter  of  Phorcys  and  Ceto ; 

one  of  the  Gorgons. 
Stro'phius,  310. 
Stry'mon,  187;    Com.  \  107. 
Sturlason,  Snorri,   his    connection  with 

the  Prose  Edda,  31,  32;   Com.  \\  177- 

184. 
Stympha'lian  birds,  235 ;  and  lake,  Com. 

kh  I39-M3- 
Styx,  78,  98,  122,  206,  304  ;   Com.  \\  48, 51. 
Suade'la;  see  Peitho. 
Sun-myth,  4,  7. 
Surter,  388. 

Survival,  theory  of  myth,  14. 
Surya;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 
Svadilfari,  371,  372. 
Swanhild,  399. 
Sylva'nus,  89,  204. 
Sympleg'a-des,    246;    Com.    \\    144-147 

(Interpret.). 
Sy'rinx  and  Pan,  93,  94,  204 ;   Com,  \  47. 
Syr'tis,  264. 

Tsn'arus,  or  Ta;n'arum,  81,  185 ;   Com. 

k  107- 
Tan'ais,  river,  124;   Com.  \  75. 
Tan'talus,  126,  186,  281.350;  genealogy 

of.  Com.  ^\  77,  107;  illustr.,  \  175. 
Tarnkappe,  400. 
Tarpe'ian  Rock,  358. 
Tar'tanis,   39,  40,  41,  81,   82;    name  of 

Pluto,  83,  124,  349. 
Tau'ri,  Taurians :   a  people  of  what   is 

now  the  Crimea;  Iphigeniaamong  the 

Taurians,  288,  311. 
Taurus.  Mount,  124,  262 ;   Com.  \  75. 
Tel'amon,  241,  254,  292;   Com.  §  165  (i). 
Telem'achus,   286,  309,  331-336;    Com. 

h  165  (3)  ;  genealogy.  ^  171. 
Tel'ephus:  son  of  Hercules  and  Auge; 

wounded  by  Achilles,  but  cured  by  the 

rust  of  the  spear. 


Tel'lus,  88,  247;  see  Gtea. 
Tem'pe,  278 ;  a  vale  in  Thessaly,  through 
which    ran    the    river    Pencils,    Com. 

h  43  (4)- 

Ten'edos,  139;  Com.  \  85. 

Te'reus,  258. 

Ter'minus,  89. 

Terpan'der,  Com.  \  34. 

Terpsich'o-re,  the  muse  of  choral  dance 
and  song,  72. 

Ter'ra;  see  Earth,  Gaea. 

Te'thys,  38,  55,  85,  95,  222. 

Teu'cer:  (i)  son  of  the  river-god  Sca- 
mander  and  the  nymph  Idsea;  first 
king  of  Troy;  (2)  son  of  Telamon 
and  Hesione,  Com.  ^\  165  (i),i6s  (5). 

Teu'cri,  the  Trojans. 

Thalas'sios :  an  epithet  applied  to  Hymen 
because  he  brought  safely  over  the  sea 
to  their  home  a  shipload  of  kidnapp>ed 
Athenian  maidens. 

Thali'a:  one  of  the  Graces. 

Thali'a,  the  muse  of  comedy,  72. 

Tham'yris,  or  Tham'yras,  23. 

Than'atos,  Mors;  see  Death. 

Tharge'lia,  Com.  \  38. 

Thaumas,  the  father  of  Iris,  Com.  \\  52- 
54,  table  C. 

The'a,  38. 

Theag'e-nes  of  Rhegium,  11. 

Theb'als :  an  epic  by  Statius  on  the 
Seven  against  Thebes;  see  under 
Statius. 

Thebes  (The'bae),  in  Bceotia,  98,  102; 
founded,  115,  116,  234,  269,  270. 

Thebes  (The'ba;),  in  Egypt,  53. 

Thebes,  the  Seven  against,  25,  223,  272. 
273-276. 

Themis,  38;  attributes  of,  72;  Com. 
kk  28,  32. 

Theoc'ritus,  27 ;  selections  from  transla- 
tions by  Lang  of  various  idyls,  207,  215. 
217,  239;  see  Andrew  Lang,  Index  of 
Modern  Authors;  also  Com.  \  11. 

Thersan'der,  276. 

Thersi'tes,  303. 

The'seus,  178,  223,  238,  245,  249.  254,  255  ; 
myth  of,  259-268;  early  adventures, 
260 ;  Theseus  and  Ariadne,  260  et  seq.  ; 
transl.  of  Catullus  LXIV.,  by  C.   M. 


524 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  TN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Gayley,  261-266,  271,  278,  281,  282; 

Com.  \  151  genealogy;  §§  IS^-IS/- 
Thesmopho'ria,  Com.  \\  105,  106. 
Thes'piae,  lion  of,  234;   Com.  \\  139-143. 
Thessaly,  40,  130,  136,  194,  209,  211,  245, 

267,  277. 
Thes'tius,  281;  Com.  \\  132  (2),  132  (5), 

148. 
The'tis,  the  Nereid,  85, 117,  215, 222, 277, 

285,  290,  296,  297,  304;    Com.  \\  52, 

I6S  (I). 

Thialfi,  373,  376,  378. 

This'be,  162;  see  under  Pyramus,  Com. 
§98. 

Thok,  385. 

Thor,  32,  369;  deeds  of,  371-379;  recov- 
ery of  his  hammer,  372;  visit  to  J6- 
tunheim,  373-379,  387;  Com.  §§  177- 
184. 

Thoth ;  see  Egyptian  deities. 

Thrace,  236,  245,  258,  338,  339. 

Three  daughters,  the,  of  King  O'Hara; 
analogy  of  incident.  Com.  \  94, 

Thrina'cia,  321 ;  see  Trinacria. 

Thrym,  372. 

Thucyd'i-des,  Com.  J  63. 

Thyes'tes,  281,  310;  Com.  §  165  (2). 

Thy'ia-des,  Cotn.  §  46 ;  see  Bacchus. 

Thyo'ne,  Com.  §  40. 

Thyr'sus,  the,  76. 

Ti'ber,  354,  357. 

Tibul'lus,  29;  reference  to,  217. 

Tire'sias,  23,  274,  276;   Com.  ^  158-164. 

Tiryns,  in  Argolis,  where  Hercules  was 
brought  up. 

Tisiph'o-ne,  84,  348. 

Ti'tans.  38,  39 ;  war  of,  40,  41 ;  in  Tar- 
tarus, 81 ;  in  Fortunate  Isles,  82. 

Titho'nus,  and  Aurora,  196-199;  Ten- 
nyson's poem,  197-199,  287;  Com. 
\\-\\\,  165(5). 

Tit'yus,  slain  by  Apollo,  61,  120;    Com. 

§73- 
Tmo'lus,   Mount,    124,   136,   137;    Com. 

§75- 
To'mi,  29. 
Tox'eus,  251,  253. 
Tra'chis,  194. 

Tragic  poets,  of  Greece,  27. 
Trident,  Neptune's,  85. 


Trina'cria  (Thrina'cria,  Thrina'cia) :  the 
island  of  Sicily,  having  three  promon- 
tories. 

Triptol'emus,  182;  and  the  Eleusinian 
mysteries,  184. 

Tris'tia,  29. 

Tritogene'a.Trito'nia:  an  epithet  applied 
to  Minerva  (Athene)  ;  meaning  bom 
near  Lake  Triton  is,  or  head-born,  or 
born  on  the  third  day. 

Tri'ton,  86,  87 ;  the  Tritons,  97,  222,  342. 

Triv'ia :  Hecate,  or  Diana  of  the  Cross- 
ways,  84. 

Troe'zen,  in  Argolis,  259. 

Tro'IIus,  a  son  of  Priam,  killed  by  Achil- 
les; see  also  Com.  ^  165  (5),  167. 

Trojan  War,  mentioned,  24,  25,  27,  112, 
113,  125,  199,  273;  houses  concerned 
in,  277-283;  origin,  285;  narrative  of, 
285-302 ;  fall  of  Troy,  303-308 ;  sur- 
vivors of  the  war,  308-312. 

Tropho'nius,  oracle  of,  Com.  §  38. 

Tros,  son  of  Erichthonius  of  Troy,  and 
grandson  of  Dardanus;  Com.  §  165  (5), 

Troy,  284-308,  et  passim,  147,  189 ;  Com. 
^  109,  167,  170. 

Tubal,  12. 

Tubalcain,  12. 

Tur'nus,  354-365. 

Twelve  Brothers,  the  story  of,  analogy  ot 
incident.  Com.  §  94. 

Tya'nean,  106. 

Ty'che ;  see  Fortuna. 

Ty'deus,  273,  287;   Com.  §  148. 

Tydi'des,  Com.  ^  48,  76;  see  Diomede. 

Tyn'dareus,  or  Tyn'darus,  277,  281,  282, 
330;  family  of.  Com.  §  165  (3). 

Tyndar'idae  (Castor  and  Pollux),  282; 
Com.  §  76. 

Tyn'daris:  patronymic  of  a  female  de- 
scendant of  Tyndareus ;  Helen  or 
Clytasmnestra ;   Com.  §  76. 

Typho'eus,  the  youngest  son  of  Gaea; 
later  identified  with  Typhon. 

Ty'phon,  41,  341 ;  but  also  called  the 
son  of  Typhoeus  and  a  hurricane; 
Com.  ^  21. 

Tyr  or  Ziu,  369,  370,  389. 

Tyrian  dye,  no. 

Tyrians  of  Cadmus,  115;  T.  flowers.  160. 


INDEX   OF  MYTHOLOGICAL   SUBJECTS. 


525 


Ty'ro,  190. 
Tyr'rheus,  355. 

Ulys'ses,  wanderings  of,  mentioned,  223, 
273,  285;  U.  in  Trojan  War,  285-302; 
U.  and  Penelope,  285,  330-335 ;  and 
arms  of  Achilles,  304  ;  and  Philoctetes, 
304;  and  Wooden  Horse,  305;  Tele- 
machus,  309,  330-335 ;  wanderings  of 
U.  (Odyssey),  313-337;  the  Lofus- 
-eaters,  313 ;  Tennyson's  Lotus-eaters, 
313.  314;  the  Cyclops,  314;  .tolus 
and  the  Bag  of  Winds,  317 ;  the  Laes- 
trygonians,  318 ;  the  Isle  of  .-Eaea, 
Circe,  318-320;  Dobson's  Prayer  of 
the  Swine,  319,  320;  the  Sirens,  320, 
321 ;  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  321,  322 ; 
Cattle  of  the  Sun,  322 ;  Calypso,  323 ; 
Phieacia,  323-330;  Lang's  Song  of 
Ph«acia,  327;  Nausicaa,  323  el  seq.; 
return  to  Ithaca,  fate  of  the  suitors, 
330-336;  descent  of  U.,  Com.  \^  165  (4), 

165(5);  hh  171-174- 

Underworld  f  Hades),  described,  78-83; 
the  garden  of  Proserpine,  79,  80 ;  Greek 
divinities  of  U.,  83,  84 ;  rivers  of,  78 ; 
inhabitants  of,  and  communication 
with  them,  81 ;  judges  of,  83,  97.  124 ; 
myths  of  greater  gods,  i8i-i88,  238, 
255.  344-353 ■.  Com.  \\  48,49.  For  the 
Norse  Underworld,  see  under  Hel. 

Ura'nia,  the  muse  of  astronomy,  72 ;  also 
the  Aphrodite  of  ideal  love.  Com.  §  40; 

^cf.  M.  Arnold,  Urania. 

U'ranus  (Ouranos),  the  father  of  Cronus, 
38,  39,  41 ;  see  under  Heaven. 

Urdur,  367, 

Ushas;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 

Ufgard-lx)ki,  374-379- 

Vach ;   see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i) 

and  (2). 
Vala,  Com.  \  loi. 
X'ale'rius    Flaccus,    reference    to,    277 ; 

Com.  1}  12. 
Valhalla,  367,  368,  381.  383,  384,  388. 
Valkyries,  4,  368,  396,  398;  Wagner's; 

Com.  ^  185. 
Valniiki,  35. 
Var'una;  see  under  Hindoo  atvinittes  (i). 


Vayu ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 

Ve,  366,  367. 

Vedas,  the,  35. 

Vedic  religion ;  see  imder  Hindoo  divin- 
ities (i). 

Venera'lia,  Com.  §  40. 

Ve'nus  (Aphrodite),  3;  daughter  of  Di- 
one,  52 ;  foam-born,  65 ;  her  attributes, 
65-68;  her  various  influence,  her  fa- 
vorite animals,  cities,  etc.,  artistic  con- 
ceptions of  v.,  66;  E.  R.  Sill's  poem. 
The  V.  of  Milo,  66-68 ;  star  of,  73 ; 
among  the  Romans,  88;  Cypris,  93, 
152,  153;  mother  of  Harmonia,  96, 
138  ;  myths  of,  150-172  ;  V.  and 
Adonis,  150,  151 ;  Lament  for  Adonis, 
Lang's  transl.  of  Bion,  151, 152 ;  Cupid 
and  Psyche,  152-161 ;  Atalanta's  race, 
Hippomenes  (or  Milanion),  162-164; 
Hero  and  Leandcr,  164-167 ;  Pygma- 
lion and  Galatea,  167-170;  Pyramus 
and  Thisbe,  170,  171 ;  Phaon,  171, 172, 
285,287,290,293,309,343;  Com.^^^, 
93-100. 

Verdandi,  367. 

Vergelmer,  366. 

Ver'gil  (Vergil'ius)  account  of,  and  of 
the  .(Eneid,  28;  reference  to  Georgics, 
220;  to  the  ^neid,  79,  81,  256,  304, 
305,  307,  308 ;  outline  of  .tneid,  338- 
365 ;  transl.  Com.  ^  12;  ^neid,  }§  174- 
176. 

Vertum'nus,  89,  213. 

Ves'per,  161. 

Ves'ta  (Hestia),  69;  Com.  {  42. 

Vestal  \''irgins,  70. 

Victo'ria  (Nike),  73. 

Vigrid,  388. 

Vili,  366,  367. 

Vingolf,  367. 

Vishnu  ;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (i). 

Vithar,  369,  389. 

Vol'scens,  362. 

Volsung,  Volsungs,  the  saga  of,  33,  392- 
399 ;   Com.  §  185. 

Void,  37. 

Vritra;  see  under  Hindoo  divinities  (1). 

Vul'can  (Vulca'nus,  Hephaestus),  6; 
identified  with  Tubal,  12;  one  of  the 
grcit   gods,  52;   attributes  of,  58,  59; 


526 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


meaning  of  names,  58 ;  his  lameness, 
his  wives,  Aglaia  and  Aphrodite,  59; 
among  the  Romans,  Mulciber,  88;  his 
wife  Maia,  89;  myths  of  V.,  117,  118; 
made  the  chariot  of  the  Sun,  t.>.:'.\  V. 
and  Orion,  147 ;  260,  262,  273,  297,  298, 
365;  Com.  \\  37,71. 
Vyasa,  35. 

Water-nymphs,  77,  85,  87. 

Waters,  Greek  gods  of,  85-87  ;  older 
djpiasty,  85;  younger  d.,  85,  86;  lesser 
divinities,  86,  87  ;  Wordsworth's  "  The 
world  is  too  much  with  us,"  87 ;  mytlie 
of  Neptune,  189-191 ;  of  lesser  divini- 
ties, 215-222. 

Winds,  the,  Greek  names  and  attri- 
butes, 72. 

Wodan,  Wuotan,  Woden ;  see  Odin. 

Wooden  horse,  the,  305,  329. 

World,  conception  of,  among  Greeks,  74. 

World-egg,  37. 

Worms,  401-403. 


Xanten,  400,  401. 

Xan'thus,  river,  118,  124;  Com.  \\  1\,TS. 
Xu'thus,  son  of  Hellen,  49;   genealogy. 
Com.  §§95,  132  (2),  132  (5). 

Yama  and  Yami;    see   under  Hindoo 

divinities  (i). 
Yggdrasil,  366. 
Ymir,  366,  367,  387. 
Yssel-land,  400-403. 

Zeph'yrus,  72  ;  and  Hyaciiithus,  121 ; 
Zephyr  and  Psyche,  154. 

Ze'tes,  73,  245. 

Ze'thus,  102;   Com.  \  64. 

Zeus ;  see  Jupiter. 

Zeux'is,  Greek  painter  of  Heraclea;  flour- 
ished about  424  B.C. 

Ziu,  or  Tyr,  369. 

Zodiac,  Com.  \\  139-143  (Interpret.). 

Zoroaster,  36. 

Zulus,  mental  state  of  the,  21. 


INDEX    OF     MODERN     AUTHORS    AND 
ARTISTS. 


[Unless  othet~jjise  stated,  re/erences  are  to  pages  of  the  Text.  Section  numbers  pre- 
ceded by  Com.,  refer  to  the  illustrative  notes  of  the  Commentary.  The  sections  corre- 
spond with  tliose  of  the  Text.] 


Addison,  Joseph,  1672-1719.  Transl. 
Metamorphoses,  Com,  ^  12 ;  Com. 
^  175,  Spectator,  343. 

Akenside,  Mark,  1721-1770.  Cam.  {§  43, 
115,  Pleasures  of  Imagination;  {  43, 
Ode  on  Lyric  Poetry ;  Ode  to  Hesper ; 
{  51,  Ode  to  Sleep. 

Albani,  Francesco,  1578-1660  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  41,  Mercury  and  Argus ;  ^  89, 
Diana  and  her  Nymphs,  Actoeon  (two 
pictures,  Dresden)  ;  ^  126,  Galatea  and 
Cupids. 


Aldrich.  T.  B.,    1836 


Com.  §  167, 


Pillared  Arch  and  Sculptured  Tower. 

Anderson,  R.  B.  Com.  §^  177-184,  Xorse 
Mythology ;  Horn's  Scandinavian  Lit- 
erature ;  Younger  Edda. 

.\ngelo,  Michael  (Buonarotti),  1474-1563 
(sculpt,  .ind  paint).  Com.  f  38,  Apollo ; 
f  43,  The  Fates ;  }  46,  The  Drunken 
Bacchus;  {  51,  A  Fury;  §  93,  Dying 
Adonis;  $  117,  Mask  of  Satyr;  §  174, 
Sibyls. 

.Armstrong,  John,  1709-1779.  The  Art 
of  Preserving  Health,  Com.  §§  38,  52- 
54.  68,  133-137- 

.\rnold,  Sir  E.,   183a .      Com.   }    15, 

Indian  Idylls,  Light  of  Asia;  }  59, 
Hymn  of  the  Priestess  of  Diana ;  ^  96, 
transl.  Musjeus;  ^  167,  Iphigenia. 

.\rnold,  M.,  1822-1888.  Quotation  from 
The   New  Philomela,  258,  259;  from 


Balder  Dead,  381-390  ;  Com.  §  43. 
Euphrosyne,  Urania;  §  46,  Baccha- 
nalia ;  §§  52-54.  The  New  Sirens  ; 
§  83,  Empedocles;  ^^  139-143,  Frag- 
ment of  a  Dejaneira ;  ■}  151,  The  New 
Philomela;  ^§  158-164,  Fragment  of 
an  Antigone ;  ^  171,  The  Strayed  Rev- 
eller. 
Ashe,  Thos.,  1836-1889.  Com.  §  43,  The 
Lost  Eros. 

Bacon,  Lord,  1561-1626.  Wisdom  of 
the  Ancients ;  his  method  of  explain- 
ing Greek  Myths,  12. 

Bandinclli,  B.,  1487-1559  (sculpt.).  Com. 
{f  139-143,  Hercules  and  Cacus. 

Banks,  J.  Transl.  Hesiod,  Callimachus, 
and  Theognis  (Bohn's  Lib.). 

Bamfield,  Ricliard,  1574-1627.  Com. 
§  151,  Song,  "As  it  fell  upon  a  day" 
(Philomela). 

Bartsch,  K.  F.  Der  Nibelunge  N6t,  34  n ; 
Com.  §  185. 

Bates,  H.  (paint.).     Com.  }  94,  Psyche. 

Baumeister.  Denkmaler  d.  Klassischen 
Alterthums ;  see  List  of  Illustra- 
tions. 

Beattie,  James,  1735-1803.  Com.  \\  139- 
143,  Battle  of  Pygmies  and  Cranes; 
\  167,  The  Judgment  of  Paris. 

Beaumont,  Francis,  1586-1616,  and 
John  Fletcher,  1579-1625.     Com.  \  43, 


528 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Ctipid's  Revenge;  \\  152-157,  Maid's 

Tragedy. 
Beddoes,    Thomas    Lovell,    1803-1849. 

Com.  \  97,  P3'gmalion ;  J  105,  Stygian 

Naiades. 
Benfey  and  Cosquin.     Cited  by  Lang, 

19  ». 
Bennett,  W.  C,   1820 .     Com.  \  97, 

Pygmalion. 
Bernini,   Lorenzo,   1598-1680    (sculpt.). 

Com.  §J  50, 105,  Pluto  and  Proserpine; 

§  85,  Apollo  and  Daphne. 
Beyschlag,  J.  R.,  1838 (paint.).    Com. 

\  94,  Psyche ;    §  107,  Orpheus  and  Eu- 

rydice. 
Birch,  R.    Guide  to  Egyptian  Rooms, 

Com.  f  15. 
Blackie,  J.  S.,  1809 .       Com.  \  126, 

Galatea  ;    \\    152-157,   Ariadne,  The 

Naming  of  Athens ;  §  167,  Judgment 

of  Paris. 
Blake,  William,  1757-1827.     See  Intro- 
duction, To  the  Muses. 
Bland  (and   Merivale).    Transl.  Greek 

Anthologty,  Com.  \  w. 
Bodenhausen,   C.   von    (paint.).      Com. 

§  96,  Hero  and  Leander, 
Bodmer,  J.  J.     Referred   to,   33;   publ. 

Nibelungenlied,  Com.  \  185. 
Bologna,      Giovanni      da,       1524-1608 

(sculpt.).     Com.  \  41,  Flying  Mercury ; 

kh  I39~H3.  Hercules  and  Centaur. 
Bordone,  Paris,  1500  (?)-i57o  (paint.). 

Apollo,   Marsyas,   and   Midas,   \   136 

(Dresden). 
Bouguereau,  A.  W.,   1825 (paint.). 

Com.  f  43,  Cupid  and  a  Butterfly ;  $  46, 

Youth   of   Bacchus;    \    117,   Nymphs 

and  Satyr. 
Bowring.  E.  A.     Com.  {  31,  transls.  of 

Schiller;    \  43,  Goethe's  Ganymede; 

■f  62,  Schiller's  Semele ;  \  125,  Schiller's 

Cranes  of   Ibycus  ;    §    138,  Schiller's 

Pegasus  in  Harness. 
Brandi,    Giacinto,     1623-1691    (paint.). 

Daedalus  fastening  Wings  on  Icarus, 

§  150  (Dresden). 
Browning,  E.  B.,  1809-1861.     Reference 

to,  151;  extract  from  The  Dead  Pan, 

201  ;     Com,    W    22-25,    Prometheus 


Bound;  \  94,  Psyche;  §  117,  Flush,  or 
Faunus  ;  \  126,  transl.  Theocritus  ; 
\\  152-157,  paraphrases  on  Nonnus 
and  Hesiod;  §  168,  paraphrase  on 
Homer. 

Browning,  R.,  1812-1889.  Passage  from 
his  Balaustion's  Adventure,  133-136; 
Com.  \  80,  Apollo  and  the  Fates ; 
§§  81,  139-143,  Balaustion's  Adven- 
ture; $  107,  Eurydice  and  Orpheus; 
\  116,  Pan  and  Luna ;  \\  139-143, 
Aristophanes'  Apology  ;  Jj  152-157, 
Artemis  Prologizes;  §  167,  Agamem- 
non; \  175,  Ixion. 

Bryant,  Jacob.  Advocate  of  theological 
interoretation,  12. 

Bryant,  W.  C,  1794-1878.  Transl.  of 
the  Odyssey ;  Com.  133-137,  of  Simoni- 
des'  Lament  of  Danae ;  Com.  \  171, 
transl.  Odyssey  (1871). 

Bucklie,  T.  A.  Com.  §  11,  transl. 
^schylus. 

Bugge,  Sophus.  Com.  \\  177-184,  Edi- 
tion of  Elder  Edda. 

Buchanan,  R.  W.,  1841 .     Cited  or 

quoted ;  from  his  Satyr,  204,  205 ;  from 
his  Naiad,  207,  208  ;  Com.  J  17,  Cloud- 
land  ;  ^  49,  Ades,  King  of  Hell ;  \\  52- 
54,  Naiad;  §  92,  Selene,  the  Moon; 
k  97,  Pygmalion  the  Sculptor;  \  99, 
Sappho  on  the  Leucadian  Rock  ; 
§  107,  Orpheus;  §  116,  Pan;  \  126, 
Polypheme's  Passion ;  \  130,  Proteus ; 
\  171,  Penelope;  \\  177-184,  Balder 
the  Beautiful. 

Bulfinch,  S.  G.,  1809-1870.  Extract  from 
his  translation  of  Schiller's  Ideal  and 
Life,  243. 

Bulfinch,  Thos.,  1796-1867.  The  Age  of 
Fable ;  see  Preface  to  this  volume. 

Burges,  G.  Transl.  Greek  Anthology, 
Com.  $11. 

Bume-Jones, E.,  1833 (paint.).    Com. 

\  43,  Cupid;  f  94,  Pan  and  Psyche; 
\  97,  Pygmalion;  §  98,  Cupid,  Pyra- 
mus,  Thisbe;  \  107,  Orpheus  and 
Eurydice  ;  §  117,  Nymphs  ;  ^\  134- 
137,  Perseus  and  the  Graiae ;  \  168, 
Feast  of  Peleus;  §  171,  The  Wine  of 
Circe. 


INDEX   OF  MODERN  AUTHORS  AND  ARTISTS. 


529 


Bums,  R.,  1759-1796.  Com.  \  38,  The 
Winter  Night ;  ^  138.  To  John  Taylor. 

Butcher,  S.  H.,  and  A.  Lang.  Transl. 
Odyssey,  Com.  J  11. 

Byron,  George  Gordon,  Lord,  1788-1824, 
Quoted  or  referred  to,  24 ;  Prometheus, 
46;  Age  of  Bronze,  48;  Com.  \\  22- 
25,  Prometheus,  Ode  to  Napoleon ; 
references  to  Childe  Harold,  \\  35,  38, 
39.  40.  43.  45  ".  56.  77,  91.  170. 

Call,  W.  M.  W.,  1817-1890.  Com.  \  80, 
Admetus;  \  81,  Alcestis;  \\  152-157, 
Ariadne  ;  \\  177-184,  Balder,  Thor. 

Calverley.  C.  S.  (Blayds),  1831-1884. 
Com.  \  12,  Transl.  Horace ;  \  93,  Death 
of  Adonis  ;  \\  103,  126,  139-143,  166, 
transl.  Theocritus.  1 

Campbell,    Thomas,    1777-1844.      Com.  , 
\  43.  Two  Songs  to  the  Evening  Star ;  ' 
$}  144-147,  transl.  of  part  of  Eurip. 
Medea. 

Canova,  Antonio.  1757-1822  (sculpt.). 
Com.  \  40,  Venus  Victrix  ;  f  43,  Graces ; 
^94,  Cupid  and  Psyche;  ^\  133-137. 
Perseus;  \  150,  D.xdalus  and  learns; 
^\  152-157,  Theseus  ;  \  167,  Paris; 
\  168,  Ajax,  Hector. 

Carlyle,  Thos..  1795-1881,  Com.  $  185, 
Fragments  of  Transl.  of  Nibelungen- 
lied.  403. 

Carracci,  Annibale,  1560-1609  (paint.). 
Com.  1}  33,  Jupiter  and  Juno. 

Carracci,  Ludovico,  1555-1619,  and  An- 
nibale (paint.).  Com.  \  92,  Diana  and 
Endymion;  {  126,  Polyphemus,  Gala- 
tea, Acis. 

Cellini,  Benvenuto,  1500-1570  (sculpt.). 
Com.  \  33,  Jupiter;  \  35,  Minerva; 
$  40,  Venus ;  \  41,  Mercury;  \\  133- 
137,  Perseus.  Perseus  saving  An- 
dromeda. 

Cervantes,  Miguel  de,  1547-1616.  Com. 
\  26. 

Chapman,  G.,  1559-1634.  Iliad  and 
Odyssey,  Com.  ^11;  Sonnet  on  Chap- 
man's Homer,  see  Keats. 

Chaucer,  Geoffrey,  1340  (or  I328)-I400. 
References  in  Com. :  The  Former  Age, 
$$  2*-3S;   The  Knight's  Tale.  \\  40. 


89,  152-157  ;  The  House  of  Fame. 
hh  43.  75.  150.  168,  174;  The  Legend 
of  Good  Women.  \\  81,  98,  133,  144, 
151,  152-157,  174;  The  Compleynt  of 
Mars,  ^^  40,  81;  The  Compleynt  of 
Venus,  \  40;  The  Dethe  of  Blanche, 
\\  113.168. 170;  The  Court  of  Love  (?), 
W  40,  81 ;  The  Cuckowand  the  Night- 
ingale, or  the  Boke  of  Cupid  (?),  §  43  ; 
The  Romaunt  of  the  Rose  (?),  \  118. 
Clarke,  J.  F.    Ten  Great  Religions,  Com. 

§15." 
Cleasby  and  Vigfusson.     Icelandic-Eng- 
lish Dictionary,  30  «,  31  n. 
Clough,  A.  H.,  1819-1861.      Com.  \  89, 

Actpeon ;  \  92.  Epi  Latmo,  Selene. 
Coleridge,    Hartley,    1790-1849.       Com. 

\\  22-25,  Prometheus;  \  \(yj.  Sonnet 

on  Homer. 
Coleridge.  S.  T.,  1772-1834.     Com.  §  88, 

Kubla  Khan. 
Collins.     Mortimer.    1827-1876.       Com. 

^  51.  The  Ivory  Gate. 
Collins,     William,     1721-1759.         Com. 

^\^  117,  118,  The  Passions. 
Collins,  W.   L.,  Anc.   Class,  for   Engl. 

Readers,  Com.  ^^  11,  12. 
Colvin.  S..  1845 .    Com.  §  45,  A  Greek 

Hymn. 
Conington,     J.,     1825-1869.        Transl. 

.tneid.  Horace.  Odes,  etc..  Com.  J  12. 
Correggio,  A.    A.,    1494-1534    (paint.). 

Com.  §  39,  Diana;  ^  59,  Jupiter  and 

lo;  {62,  Antiope;  ^Jf  133-137,  Danae. 
Cowper,     Wm.,     1731-1800.        Transl. 

Homer,  51,  290,  323,  332,  333;    Com. 

$   II,  transl.    Homer;    §  38,  Yardley 

Oak;  ^}  48, 171. 175.  Progress  of  Error; 

{  118,  On  an  Ugly  Fellow;  $  130,  The 

Task. 
Cottle,  A.  S.     Com.  $§  177-184,  Icelan- 
dic Poetry. 
Cox,  the  Rev.  Sir  G.  W.,  9  ».  20  «.     Com. 

kk  59.  61.  70,  72.  73.  75.  77.  94.  101. 107, 

126.  139-143,  149. 
Crabbe,  George.  1754-1832.     Com.  }  43, 

Village.  Parish    Register,   Newspaper, 

Birth  of  Flattery  (Invocations  of  the 

Muse) ;  ^  168,  Village. 
Crane,  W.    Transl.  .^neid.  Com.  $  12. 


530 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Creuzer,  Prof.,  and  the  allegorical  inter- 
pretation, 12. 

Curtin,  Jeremiah.  Myths  and  Folk-lore 
of  Ireland,  Com.  \  94. 

Curzon,  A.  de  (paint.).  Com.  \  94, 
F^yche.  . 

Dale,  Tho3.    Transl.  of  Sophocles,  Com. 

Daniel,  Samuel,  1562-1619.  Com.  J  171, 
Dialogue  of  Ulysses  and  the  Siren. 

Dannecker,  J.  H.  von,  1758-1841  (sculpt.). 
Com.  ^\  152-157,  Ariadne. 

Dante,  Alighieri,  1265-1321.  Reference 
to,  47 ;   Com.  \  26. 

Darwin,  Erasmus,  1731-1802.  Extract 
from  his  Botanic  Garden,  199,  256. 

Dasent.   Sir   G.    VV.,    1820 .       Com. 

kk  177-184,  Popular  Tales  frotn  the 
Norse. 

David,  J.  L.,  1748-1825  (paint.).  Com. 
^  i&j,  Paris  and  Helen. 

da  Vinci,  I^onardo,  1452-1519  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  133-137,  Head  of  Medusa. 

Dekker,  Thos.,  1570-1637.  Com.  §  38; 
The  Sun's  Darling. 

Derby,  the  Elarl  of.  ,Transl.  Homer, 
Com.  }  II. 

de    Vere,    Aubrey    Thomas,    18 14 . 

Com.  ^  38,  Lines  under  Delphi;  \  50, 
The  Search  after  Proserpine ;  ^  61, 
The  Rape  of  Europa;  ^  105,  On 
the  meaning  of  the  Myth  of  Proser- 
pine. 

Dippold,  G.  T.  Great  Epics  of  Medi- 
aeval Germany,  Com.  §  14. 

Dixon,  R.  W.,   1833 .      Com.   {   38, 

Apollo  Pythias. 

Dobson,  Austin,  1840 .     Extract  from 

Prayer  of  the  Swine  to  Circe,  319,  320; 
Com.  ^  126,  A  Tale  of  Polypheme. 

Domenichino,  Z.,  1581-1641  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  39,  Diana's  Chase;  {  174, 
Cumoean  Sibyl. 

Doyle,  Sir  Francis  Hastings,  1810-1888. 
Com.  }  158,  Transl.  of  CEdipus  Tyran- 
nus. 

Dowden,  E.,  1843 .  Com.  \  61,  Eu- 
ropa; }  107,  Eurydice. 

Dosso  Dossi  (Giovanni  di  Lutero) ,  1479- 


1541  (paint.).  Diana  and  Endymion, 
§  92.     (Dresden.) 

Drayton,  Michael,  1563-1631.  Com.  ^  38 
■  (on  Apollo)  ;  J  43,  Ganymede. 

Drummond,  \Vm.,  of  Hawthomden, 
1588-1649.  Com.  ^  38,  Song  to  Phoe- 
bus; ^  43,  Ganymede  ;  ^^  52-54, 
"Nymphs,  sister  nymphs,"  etc.;  §  93, 
Statue  of  Adonis;  §  115,  Summons  to 
Lx)ve ;  }  133-137.  Statue  of  Medusa. 

Dryden,  J.,  1631-1700.  Extract  from 
Alexander's  Feast,  76;  Com.  ^  12, 
transl.  Metamorphoses  and  the  ^neis ; 
§51,  Alexander's  Feast;  ^  83,  Chau- 
cer's Wife  of  Bath's  Tale;  ^  117,  To 
Mrs.  Anne  Killigrew;  ^  167,  Cymon 
and  Iphigenia;  \  175,  St.  Cecilia's  Day. 

Dyer,  John,  1700  (?)-i758.  Extracts 
from  The  Fleece,  245,  309. 

Edwards,   Miss  A.   B.      A  Thousand 

Miles  up  the  Nile,  Com.  f  15. 
Eliot,  George  (Mary  Ann  Cross),  1819- 

1880.     Arion,  Com.  §  11, 
Ellis,  Robinson.    Transl.  Catullus,  Com. 

^  12. 
Emerson,  R.  W.,  1803-1882.    Com.  §  158- 

164,  The  Sphinx. 

Fawcett,  Edgar,  1847 .     Com.  §  171, 

Calypso. 

Fawkes,  Francis,  1721-1777,  Com.  {  99, 
transl.  Sappho. 

Fenelon,  Franfois  de  la  Mothe,  1651- 
1715.     Com.  ■}  171,  Tt^I6maque. 

Fields,  A.     Com.  ^  86,  Clytia. 

Fiske,    John,    1842 .      Citation  from 

Myths  and  Myth-Makers,  3. 

Fitzgerald,  M.  P.  Com.  §  152-157,  The 
Crowned  Hippoh'tus;  }  158-164,  The 
Downfall  and  Death  of  King  CEdipus; 
f  167,  Agamemnon. 

Flaxman,  John,  1755-1826.  Sketches, 
Com.  §§  168,  171. 

Fletcher,  John.  1579-1625  (see  Beau- 
mont). Com.  §  43,  A  Wife  for  a 
Month  ;  \  46,  "  God  Lyasus  "  (from 
Valenfinian) ;  §  60,  "  Hear  ye  ladies" 
(Valentinian)  ;  §§  52-54,  152-157,  The 
\Iaid's  Tragedy;    {  92,  The   Faithful 


INDEX  OF  MODERN  AUTHORS  AND   ARTISTS. 


531 


Shepherdess;  \  ii6,  Song  of  Priest  of 
Han  ;  Song  to  Pan  (Faithful  Shepherd- 
ess). 

Forestier,  Auber  (pseudonym  for  Annie 
A.  Moore).  6'<3w.  ^^85,  Echoes  from 
Mist  I^nd. 

Foster- Barham,  A.  G.  Com.  \  185, 
Translation  of  Nibehingenlied. 

Franceschini  (M.  A.),  1648-1729  (paint.). 
\  93,  Birth  of  Adonis  (Dresden). 

Francklin,  Thomas.  Transl.  Sophocles, 
Com.  \  x\. 

Frere,  J.  Hookham,  1769-1846.  Com. 
hk  I33~i37'  Transl.  of  Simonides'  La- 
ment of  Danae. 

Fuller,  S.  Margaret,  1810-1850.  Com. 
{  43,  Ganymede  to  his  Ekigle. 

Gamett,  Richard,  1835 .     Com.  J  59, 

lo  in  Egj'pt;  ^  167,  Iphigenia  in  Del- 
phi. 

Garrick,  David,  1716-1779.  Com.  }  67, 
Upon  a  Lady's  Embroidery. 

Gay,  John,  1688-1732.  Com.  \  126,  Poly- 
pheme's  Song  (Acis  and  Galatea). 

Gayley,  C.  M.  Extracts  from  hexameter 
translation  of  Catullus'  Peleus  and 
Thetis,  261-266,  278-281. 

Gerard,  Francois,  1770-1836  (paint.). 
Com.  \  94,  Cupid  and  Psyche. 

Giordano,  Luca,  1632-1705  (paint.). 
\  137,  Perseus  and  Phineus;  \  140, 
Hercules  and  Omphale;  \  154,  Bac- 
chantes and  Ariadne  (Bresden). 

Giorgione,  Giorgio  Harbarclli,  1477-1511 
(paint.).  Com.  \  wj.  Nymphs  and 
Satyr;  \  167,  The  Judgment  of  Paris 
(Dresden). 

Gladstone,   W.   E.,    1809 .      Works 

referred  to  or  cited,  12  w;  his  theory 
of  myths,  12;  on  the  number  of  the 
Olympians,  52  n ;  and  Com.  \  32,  on 
the  Olympian  religion. 

Gleyre,  Charles  G.,  1807-1874  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  46,  Dance  of  the  Bacchantes ; 
kk  139-143.  Hercules  at  the  feet  of 
Omphale. 

Goldsmith,  Oliver,  1728-1774.  Com. 
\  118,  on  a  beautiful  youth  struck  by 
blindness  (Narcissus). 


Gosse,  E.  W.,  1849 .    Quoted:  Eros, 

70, 71 ;  from  the  Sons  of  Cydippe,  108 ; 
from  the  Praise  of  Dionysus,  178,  179; 
Com.  \  31,  Greece  and  England  ;  \  39, 
The  Praise  of  Artemis ;  \  66,  Sons  of 
Cydippe;  \  107,  The  Waking  of  Eu- 
rydice;  \  112,  The  Death  of  Procris; 
^  113,  Alcyone;  §  175,  Island  of  the 
Blest. 

Goethe,  J.  W.  von,  1749-1832.  Com.; 
see  under  Bowring. 

Gray,  Thos.,  1716-1771.  The  fatal  Sis- 
ters referred  to,  368;  Com.  \\  17,  40, 
45,  Progress  of  Poetry;  \\  130-137, 
Hymn  to  Adversity;  \\  177-184,  Ode 
on  the  Descent  of  Odin. 

Greene,  Robert,  1560-1592.  Com.  §  56, 
Arraignment  of  Paris. 

Greenwell,  Dora,  1821-1882.  Com.  \  105, 
Demeter  and  Cora ;  \  185,  Battle-Flag 
of  Sigurd. 

Grimm,  Jakob  Ludwig,  1785-1863,  and 
Wilhelm  Karl,  1786-1859.  Theory  of 
distribution  of  myth,  20,  21.  Deriva- 
tion of  word  Edda,  31  «;  Com.  \  14, 
Deutsche  Mythologie;  \  94,Tlie  Twelve 
Brothers. 

Guercino,  Francesco,  1590-1666  (paint.). 
Com.  \  92,  Sleeping  Endymion ;  \  112, 
Aurora  ;  \  93,  Three  Pictures  of 
Adonis  (Dresden). 

Gu6rin,  Pierre  Narcisse,  1774-1833 
(paint.).  Com.  $  112,  L'Aurore  et 
C6phale;  $  174,  ^neas  at  the  Court 
of  Dido. 

Hahn,  Werner.  Modem  German  edi- 
tion of  N»belungenlied,  33  »,  34  «,  401 ; 
Com.  \  185. 

Hake,  Thos.  Gordon,  1809 .      Com. 

$  40,  The  Birth  of  Venus;  \\  133-137, 
The  Infant  Medusa. 

Hallam,  Arthur  Henry,  1811-1833.  Com. 
k  97,  Pygmalion. 

Hamon,  J.  L.,  1821-1874  (paint.).  Com. 
\  112,  Aurora. 

Haug,  M.  Com.  \  15,  Sacred  Lang,  and 
Lit.  of  Parsis. 

Hawthorne,  Nathaniel.  1804-1864.  Com. 
§  56,  The  Marble  Faun. 


532 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Head,  Guy,  d.  1801  (paint.).     Com.  §  43, 

Iris. 
Hemans,   Felicia   D.,    1794-1835.     Com. 

§  81,  Alfieri's  Alcestis;  Death  Song  of 

Alcestis-  §  91,  Pleiads. 
Herrick,  R.,  1591-1674.     Com.  §  43,  The 

Cheat    of    Cupid,   or    The    Ungentle 

Guest. 
Hervey,    Thomas     Kibble,     1799-1859. 

Poem  on  Cupid  and  Psyche,  159,  160. 
Hood,  Thomas,  1798-1845.     Com.  §  38, 

To  the  Sun  ;  §  39,  To  the  Moon ;  §  86, 

Flowers;    §  96,   Hero   and    Leander; 

§   105,  Ode    to    Melancholy;    §   171, 

Lycus  the  Centaur. 
Hoffman,  J.  (paint.).     Com.  §  185,  Illus- 
trations of  the  Ring  of  the  Nibelun- 

gen. 
Holmes,  O.  W.,  1809 .     Com.  §§  92, 

171,  Metrical  Essays. 
Horn,  F.  W.     Geschichte  d.  Literatur  d. 

Skandinavischen  Nordens,  31  w,  33  ». 
Home,  Richard  Henry  (Hengist),  1807- 

1884.     Com.  §^  22-25,  Prometheus,  the 

Fire-bringer ;  ^  90,  Orion. 
Hunt,   I^eigh,    1788-1859.       Com.   J   96, 

Hero  and  Leander. 
Hubner,   E.,    1842 (paint.).      Com. 

§  167,  Iphigenia. 

Ingelow,  Jean,  1830 .      Com.  §  50, 

Persephone. 
Ingres,  J.    D.    A.,    1781-1867    (paint.). 

Com.    §    158-164,    CEdipus    and    the 

Sphinx. 

Jackson,  Helen  Hunt,  1831-1885.     Com. 

\J  45.  Demeter ;  ^  152-157,  Ariadne's 

Farewell. 
Johnson,  Biorn,  of  Scardsa,  1575-1656. 

On  the  Elder  Edda,  32. 
Johnson,  Samuel,  1709-1784.    Definition 

of  Fable,  i. 
Johnsson,  Arngrim,  1568-1648.    On  the 

authorship  of  the  Younger  Edda,  31. 
Johnston,  T.  C.      Did   the   Phoenicians 

discover  America  ?  21 ;/. 
Jonson,  B.,  1574-1637.    Hymn  to  Diana, 

64. 65 ;  Com.  ^  17,  Neptune's  Triumph  ; 

§  116,  Pan's  Anniversary;  §  46,  Dedi- 


cation of  the  King's  new  cellar  to  Bac- 
chus. 

Jonsson,  Thorleif.  Com.  §§  177-184, 
Edition  of  the  Younger  Edda. 

Jordaens,  Jaques,  1593-1678  (paint.). 
§  102,  Silenus  and  Bacchante;  §  154, 
Ariadne,  Fauns,  etc.  (Dresden). 

Jordan,  W.  Com.  §  185,  Studies  and 
Recitations  of  the  Nibelunge. 

Kaulbach,  W.,  1805-1874  (paint.).  Com. 
§  167,  Iphigenia. 

Keats,  John,  1795-1821.  Quotation  from 
"  I  stood  tiptoe  upon  a  little  hill,"  94; 
from  Endymion,  Bk.  3,  150,  218 ;  Ode 
to  Psyche,  160,  161 ;  Picture  of  Lean- 
der, 166;  Com.  §  17,  Hyperion;  §  38, 
Hymn  to  Diana;  ^'1^39, 117,  To  Psyche; 
§  43,  On  a  Grecian  Urn;  ^  46,  117, 
138,  To  a  Nightingale;  §  50,  Melan- 
choly; §^74,  88,  92,  171,  Endymion; 
§  101,  Ode  to  Maia;  §  167,  Chapman's 
Homer. 

Keller,  F".,  1842 (paint.).     Com.  §  96, 

Hero  and  Leander. 

Kingsley,  Charles,  1819-1875.  Extract 
from  the  Andromeda,  229 ;  Com.  ^  09, 
Sappho ;  ^  185,  Longbeard's  Saga. 

King,  Ed.  Transl.  Metamorphoses, 
Co7n.  ^  12. 

Knight,  Payne,  1750-1824.  i6  n,  Sym- 
bolical Language  of  Ancient  Art. 

Kray,  W.  (paint.).  Com.  ^  94,  Psyche 
and  Zephyr. 

Kurenberg,  von,  and  the  Nibelungenlied, 
34- 

Kyd,  Thos.,  end  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
Com.  ^^  49,  62,  Spanish  Tragedy. 

Lachmann,  K.  K.,  1793-1851.  Theory 
of  Nibelungenlied,  34;  Com.  §  185, 
Nibelunge  N6t. 

Landor,  W.  S.,  1775-1864.  Quotations 
from  the  Niobe,  129  ;  Hippomenes 
and  Atalanta,  163,  164 ;  from  Orpheus 
and  Eurydice  (Dry  Sticks),  187;  Com. 
{  34,  Hymn  of  Terpander  to  Juno; 
}  46,  Sophron's  Hymn  to  Bacchus ; 
U  52-55.  152-157.  To  Joseph  Ablett; 
^  61,  Europa  and  her  Mother;  {f  75, 


INDEX    OF  MODERN  AUTHORS  AND  ARTISTS. 


533 


112.  Gebir;  §  77,  Niobc;  J  81,  Her- 
cules, Pluto,  Alcestis,  etc. ;  §  99, 
Sappho,  Alcseus,  etc.  ;  ^  103,  Last 
P'ruit  of  an  Old  Tree ;  ^  104,  Silenus ; 
J  115,  Sonnet  on  Genius;  \  116,  Pan 
and  Pitys.  Cupid  and  Pan  ;  f  122, 
Dr)'ope;  f  123,  The  Hamadivad,  .-Eon 
and  Rhodope ;  ^  167,  Loss  of  Memory, 
Menelaus  and  Helen,  Iphigenia  and 
Agamemnon ;  ^  168,  Peleus  and  The- 
tis; ^  169,  The  EsfKJUsals  of  Polyxena, 
Corythos,  Death  of  Paris  and  G£none ; 
\  170,  Death  of  Clytemnestra ;  \  171, 
■  Penelope. 

Ijl  Fontaine,  Jean  de,  1621-1695.  Men- 
tioned, 2. 

Lang,    Andrew,    1844 .      Quotation 

from  rhe  Fortunate  Isles,  82;  from 
The  New  Pygmalion,  168,  169;  his 
Death  of  Procris,  193,  194 ;  A  Song  of 
Phseacia,  327,  328;  transl.  from  Mos- 
chus,  95,  207;  transls.  from  Iliad  (w. 
Leaf  and  Myers),  112,  113,  114,  125; 
fi-om  Bion,  151.  152;  from  Theocritus, 
215-217,  239 ;  Myth,  Ritual,  and  Relig- 
ion, and  article  on  Mythology  in  Ency. 
Brit.,  cited  or  referred  to.  Preface,  10  », 
13  »,  14  »,  19  w,  21,  and  Com.  ^\  18,  38, 
39,60,62,  63,  73,  85,  102.  105.  Transls. 
of  Theocritus,  Bion,  and  Moschus  re- 
ferred to.  Com.  ^^  II,  43,  103,  139- 
143,  168.  Poems  referred  to.  \  39, 
To  Artemis;  }{  167-169,  Helen  of 
Troy;  ■}  167.  Sonnet  on  Iliad;  ^  171, 
Sonnet  on  Odyssey. 

Lang,  A.  (Leaf  and  Myers).  Transl. 
Iliad,  Com.  ^  11. 

Lang,  A.  (Butcher  and).  Transl. 
Odyssey,  Com.  ^11. 

Lamed,  Augusta.  Com.  J§  177-184, 
Tales  from  the  Norse  Grandmother. 

Lathrop,  G.  P.,  1851 .     Com.  ^  167, 

Helen  at  the  Loom. 

I^zarus,  Emma,  1849-1887.  Com.  §  80, 
Admetus. 

Lefcbvre,  Jules  (paint.).  Com.  ^  39, 
Diana  and  her  Nymphs. 

I^ighton,     Sir      Frederick,       1830 

(paint.).  Com.  §  48,  The  Garden  of 
Rroserpine;    }  81,  Hercules  WTCStling. 


with  Death  for  the  Body  of  Alcestis ; 
^  94.  The  Bath  of  Psyche;  ^{  105, 
ic6.  The  Return  of  Proserpine ;  j  107, 
Orpheui  and  Eurydice;  §§  133-137. 
Perseus  and  Andromeda ;  §  167,  Helen 
of  Troy.  j 

Lessing,  Gotthold  E.,  1729-1781.  Com. 
^^  69,  169,  Laocoon. 

Lettsom,  \V.  N.  Com.  §  185,  The  Fall  of 
the  Nibeiungers. 

Linton,  William  James,  1812 •".     }  107, 

Eurydice ;  ^  167,  Iphigenia  at  Aulis. 

Lobeck,  Chr.  A.,  1781- 1860.  Aglaopha- 
mus,  14  H  ;  Com.  1}  105. 

Longfellow,  H.  W.,  1807-1882.  Quoted 
or  Inferred  to,  Prometheus,  46,  47; 
Drinking  Song,  176;  Com.  ^^  22-25, 
Masque  of  Pandora;  }J  90,  175,  Oc- 
cultation  of  Orion;  ^  92,  Endymion ; 
1}  138,  Pegasus  in  Pound ;  ^  175,  Verses 
to  a  Child ;  ^  177-184,  Tegner's 
Drapa,  Saga  of  King  Olaf. 

Lowell,  J.  R.,  1819-1891.  Quotations 
from  The  Shepherd  of  King  Admetus, 
131 ;  from  Fable  for  Critics  ( Daphne), 
140 ;  from  Rhoecus,  210-212  ;  Com. 
^^  22-25,  ^<  Prometheus;  {  41,  Find- 
ing of  the  Lyre;  ^  43,  Hebe,  Villa 
Franca;  ^§  52-54,  The  Sirens;  $  92, 
Endymion  ;  f  107.  Eurydice. 

Lorrain,  Claude  Gel^e,  le,  1600-1682 
(paint).  Com.  ^  41,  Mercury  and  Bat- 
tus;  §  61,  Europa  ;  $  126,  Evening, 
Acis,  and  Galatea. 

Ludlow,  J.  M.  Com.  J  14,  Pop.  Epics 
Middle  Ages. 

Lyly,  John,  1553-1606.  Com.  §  43,  Cupid 
and  Campaspe  ;  {§  83,  104.  King 
Midas;  J  92,  H^ndymion ;  t}  99,  Sappho 
and  Phao. 

Lytton,  Edward  G.  EL  L.  Bulwer,  Lord, 
1805-1873.  Com.  J  12,  transl.  Horace ; 
$  43,  Ganymede;  {  66,  Cydippe,  or 
the  Apples;  $  170,  transL  Schiller's 
Cassandra;  ^  175,  Death  and  Sisy- 
phus. 

Mabie,  H.  W.     Com.  ^  177-184,  Norse 

Stories. 
Macaulay,  T.  B.,  1800-1859.    Quotation 


534 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


from  Prophecy  of  Capys,  89-90 ;  from 
Lake  Regillus,  282-283. 

Magniisson,  Eirikr,  and  (William  Mor- 
ris).    Story  of  the  Volsungs,  392-399  ;  | 
Com.  \  185.  I 

Mannhardt,  W.  13,  Antike  Wald-  und 
Feldkultus  ;   Com.  \  93.  \ 

Marchal,  C.  F.,  1828-1878.     Com.  \  171,  | 
Penelope.  | 

Marlowe,   Christopher,  1564-1593.     Ex- 1 
tract  from   Hero   and    Leander,  164- 
166  ;     Con.    \    167,    Faustus  ;    \    174,  j 
Tragedy  of  Dido,  Queen  of  Carthage. 

Marston,  J.,  i57S(?)-i633.  Com.  ^  97, 
Pygmalion. 

Martin,  Sir  Theodore,  1816 .•   Com. 

\  12,  transl.  Catullus,  Horace;  ^  41, 
Goethe's  Phoebus  and  Hermes ;  §^  144- 
147,  152-157,  transl.  Catullus. 

Marvell,  Andrew,  1620-1:678.  Com.  \  92, 
Lord  Fauconberg,  Lady  Mary  Crom- 
well. 

Mengs,  Anton  Rafael,  1728-1779  (paint.). 
Com.  \  43,  Cupid,  Apollo  and  Muses. 

Meredith.    G.,    1828 .       Com.   \   75, 

Phaeton;  \  105,  The  Appeasement  of 
Demeter. 

Merivale,  J.  H.,  1779-1844  (and  R. 
Bland).  Com.  §  11,  transl.  Greek  An- 
thology. 

Mickle,  William  Julius,  1734-1789.  Com. 
§  98,  transl.  of  Camoens'  Lusaid. 

Millais,  John  Everett,  1829 (paint.). 

Com.  \  124,  Pomona. 

Millet,  Jean  Francois,  1815-1875  (paint.). 
Com.  \  38,  Phoebus  and  Boreas. 

Milman,  Henry  Hart,  1791-1868.  Lines 
from  the  Samor,  229 ;  Com.  §  75,  Sa- 
mor;  §  103,  Bacchantes  of  Euripi- 
des. 

Milton,  John,  1608-1674.  Quoted;  lines 
from  II  Pens.,  24,  228 ;  from  the  Hymn 
to  the  Nativity,  200;  from  Comus, 
221,  228,  231,  309;  from  P.  L.,  241; 
Com.  \\  26, 17-17^, passim  ;  references 
to  Paradise  Lost,  Paradise  Regained, 
Lycidas,  Comus,  II  Penseroso,  L'AUe- 
gro.  Sonnets,  Arcades,  Vacation  Ex- 
cursion, Hymn  to  the  Nativity,  Sam- 
son Agonistes.  , 


Mogk,  E.  Article  Mythologie  in  Paul's 
Grundriss  d.  Germ.  Philol.,  i8  n,  33. 

Molinari,  Antonio,  1665-1727  (paint.). 
Psyche  and  Sleeping  Cupid,  §  94 
(Dresden). 

Moore,  Thomas,  1779-1852.  Quoted; 
Song  of  Hyperborean,  74;  Clytie,  141 ; 
Com.  \  15,  The  Fire  Worshippers  ;  ^  43, 
Fall  of  Hebe  ;  §  "jt.  Sir  R.  Blackmore ; 
§  79,  Lycus  the  Centaur ;  ^^  88 ;  J  94, 
Cupid  and  Psyche ;  ^  95,  Rhymes  on 
the  Road;  \  98,  The  Sylph's  Ball; 
^^  112,  Legendary  Ballads. 

Morley,  H.,  1822 .  Com.  ^  13.  Ex- 
tract from  English  Writers  (Runes). 

Morris,  Lewis,  1833 .    The   Epic  of 

Hades,  Com.  \\  31,  33,  35  (Athene), 
38  (Apollo),  39  (Artemis),  40  (Aphro- 
dite), 49  (Hades),  50  (Persephone), 
51,  62  (Sisyphus),  'j-j  (Tantalus),  83 
(Marsyas),  89  (Act:Eon),  92  (Endym- 
ion),  93  (Adonis),  94  (Psyche),  107 
(Orpheus,  Eurydice),  107  (Tantalus), 
117  (Narcissus),  133-137  (Medusa, 
Andromeda),  139-143  (Deianeira), 
152-157  (Phaedra),  169  (Laocoon), 
170  (Clytaemnestra) ;  Niobe  on  Sipy- 
lus,  Com.  \  jj. 

Morris,  William,  1834 .  Extracts  from 

The  Earthly  Paradise,  Story  of  Cupid 
and  Psyche,  155,  158 ;  Pygmalion  and 
the  Imafje,  169;  Doom  of  K.  Acrisius, 
226;  Sigurd  the  Volsung,  and  Story 
of  Volsungs,  392-399;  Com.  ^  I'i, 
transl.  the  ^neids ;  ^  171,  transl.  Odys- 
sey; §J  52-54,  107,  144-147,  Life  and 
Death  of  Jason ;  ^  66,  Earthly  Para- 
dise; ^^  66,  81,  The  I^ve  of  Alcestis; 
§  95,  Atalanta's  Race;  ^^  133-137,  The 
Doom  of  Acrisius;  §  138,  Bellerophon  ; 
§^  139-143,  The  Golden  Apples ;  §  169, 
Death  of  Paris;  $^  177-184,  The 
Funeral  of  Balder;  f  184,  Sigurd  the 
Volsung. 

Morris,  William,  and  E.  Magnusson. 
The  Story  of  the  Volsungs  and  Nibe- 
lungs,  33  w.,  392-399 ;   Cotn.  J  185. 

Morshead,  E.  D.  A.  Transl,  of  ^Eschy- 
lus,  Com.  §  II. 

Motherwell,  W.,  1797-1835.     Com.  ^  185, 


INDEX  OF  MODERN  AUTHORS  AND  ARTISTS.        535 


Battle-Flag  of  Sigurd ;  Jarl  Egill  Skal- 
lagrim  :  Sword  Chant  of  Thorstein. 

Muir,  J.     Com.  \  15,  Sanskrit  lexts. 

Muller,  F.  Max,  1823 .     Cited,  6.  9, 

10 «  ;  Oxford  Essays,  etc.,  referred  to, 
18  «;  Preface  and  Com.  \  15,  Sacred 
Books  of  the  Elast,  Hist.  Sanskr.  Lit., 
Science  of  Religion,  Chips  from  a 
German  Workshop,  etc. ;  Cotn.  \\  33, 
35.  59.  60,  77,  80,  85,  101,  107,  114, 133- 
137,  138,  references  to  works  in  gen- 
eral. 

Miilier,  H.  D.     Com.  ^  61. 

Murray,  A.  S.  Manual  of  Mythology, 
referred  to,  Preface  and  172. 

Myers,   E.,    1844 .      Com.   §    ii    (w. 

Lang  and  Leaf),  transl.  Iliad;  transl. 
Odes  of  Pindar ;  {  167,  Sonnet  on  the 
Iliad. 

Myller,  C.  H.  Com.  \  185,  Edition  of 
Nibelungenlied. 

Neaves,  Charles,  Lord,  1800-1876.  Com. 
^  II,  transl.  Greek  Anthology. 

Neide,  E.,  1842 (paint.).     Com.  \  94, 

Charon  and  Psyche. 

Xoel,    Hon.    Roden,    1834 .       Com. 

\  43,  Ganymede ;  \  46,  Triumph  of 
Bacchus;  \  116.  Pan  (in  the  Modern 
Faust) ;  \\  177-184,  Ragnarok  (Mod- 
ern Faust). 

Occleve,  Thomas,  1370-1454.    Com.  >}  43, 

The  Letter  of  Cupid. 
Olafsson,  Magnus,  1574-1636.      EUlition 

of  Snorri's  Edda,  32. 

Paley,  F.  A.,  1816 .   Com.  \  ii,  transl. 

Pindar's  Odes. 
Palgrave.  F.  T.,  1824 .     Com.  §  81, 

Alcestis. 
Palmer,   G.   H.,    1842 .     Com.  \   11, 

transl.  Odyssey. 
Parmegianino     (Francesco     Mazzuoli), 

1503-1540    (paint.).       The    Rape    of 

Ganymede,  }  43  (Dresden). 
Parnell,  Thomas,  1679-17 18.    Com.  \\  22- 

25,  Hesiod,  or  the    Rise  of  Woman; 

^  46,  Bacchus. 
Pater,  Walter  H.,  1838 .    29  ».  Com. 


§f  12,  94,  Marius  the  Epicurean  ;  \  45, 

The  Myth  of  Demeter. 
Patmore,    Coventry,    1823 .       Com. 

§  43,  The  Unknown  Eros. 
Paul,    Hermann,    Grundriss    d.    Germ. 

Phil.,  referred  to,  18;/,  33//. 
Paupion,   E.   J.    (paint.).       Com.    \   98, 

Thisbe. 
Peacock,    Thomas     Love,     1785-1866. 

Com.  ^  103,  Vengeance  of  Bacchus. 
Peele,  George,  1558-1598.     Com.  \  167, 

Arraignment  of  Paris. 
Philips,    Ambrose,    1671-1749.        Com. 

\  124,  Cider. 
Pisano,    Andrea,     1270-1348     (paint.). 

Com.  \  150,  Daedalus  and  Icarus. 
Pixis,  Th.,    1831 (paint.).      \    185, 

Illustrations  of  the  Ring  of  the  Nibe- 

lungen. 
Plumptre,  E.  H.,  1821 .     Transls.  of 

Sophocles,    270,  271,   272,   275,   276  ; 

Com.    \    II,    transl.    .^schylus    and 

Sophocles. 
Pope,    Alexander,    1688-1744.     Transl. 

Homer,  302;  Com.\  11, transl.  Homer; 

references  to  Dunciad,  the   Messiah, 

Rape  of  the   Lock,  Windsor  Forest, 

Essay  on  Criticism,  Prologue  to  Satires, 

Spring,  Summer,  Moral  Essays,  Mis- 
cellaneous, \\  21,  28,  31,  38,  40,  43,  45, 

SO,  51,  52-54,  56,  59,  67,  77,  88,  91,  93. 

99,  104,  107,  113,  116,  117,  138. 139-143, 

144-147.  149.  168.  171.  175.  176. 
Potter,  R.,  1721-1804.     Com.  \  11,  transl. 

.iEschylus. 
Poussin,   Nicholas,   1594-1665   (paint.). 

\  56,   The   Kingdom   of  Flora;    118, 

Narcissus  ;    }    59,    Pan    and    Syrinx 

(Dresden). 
Poynter,  K  J.,  1836 (paint.).     Com. 

\  95,  Atalanta's  Race.     Note  also  his 

Andromeda,  Perseus,  and  Andromeda 

and  Helen. 
Praed,  Winthrop  Mackworth,  1802-1839. 

Com.  \  170,  Cassandra. 
Preller,  L.,  1809 .    Griechische  My- 

thologie,  cited  or  referred  to.  Preface, 

and  18  w,  38  »,  40  «;   Com.  W  21,  38, 

40,  59,  61,  62,  63,  70,  72.  77,  102,  105, 

110.  114.  133-137.  149. 


536 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  LV  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Preston,   Margaret  J.,  1838 .      Com. 

§  88,  Flight  of  Arethusa;  ^^  113,  Alcy- 
one ;  ^  148,  The  Quenched  Branch. 

Prior,  Matthew,  1664-1721.  Com.  ^^  52- 
54,  On  taking  of  Namur ;  §  75,  Female 
Phaeton. 

Proctor,  Bryan  Waller,  1787-1874.  Com. 
^  29,  The  Flood  of  Thessaly  ;  §  39, 
The  Worship  of  Dian;  §  103,  Bac- 
chanalian Song ;  ^  105,  Rape  of  Pros- 
,  erpine;  ^^  126,  Death  of  Acis;  ^^  152- 
157,  On  the  Statue  of  Theseus. 

Raleigh,  Sir  Walter,  1552-1618.  Cita- 
tion from  History  of  the  World,  12. 

Randolph,  Thomas,  1606-1634.  Com. 
^^  46, 56,  To  Master  Anthony  Stafford. 

Raphael  (Sanzio,  of  Urbino),  1483-1520 
(paint.).  Com.  §  38,  Apollo;  §  39, 
Luna;  §  41,  Mercury;  ^  43,  Cupids, 
Six  Hours  of  Day  and  Night  ;  §  83, 
Marsyas  ;  ^  94,  Cupid  and  Psyche; 
^^  126,  Triumph  of  Galatea;  ^  167, 
Sketch  of  Homer ;  §  174,  Vergil,  Dido. 

Read,  T.  B.,  1822-1872.  Com.  ^  92, 
Endymion. 

Reed,  E.  A.  Com.  §  15,  Hindoo  Liter- 
ature. 

Regnault,  J.  B.,  1754-1829  (paint.).  §  43, 
The  Graces.  Note  also  his  Eklucation 
of  Achilles,  Pygmalion  and  Venus, 
Death  of  Priam,  and  Orestes  and 
Iphigenia. 

Rembrandt  (van  Ryn),  1607-1669 
(paint.).  ^  43,  Ganymede  carried  off 
by  Jove's  Eagle  (Dresden). 

Reni,  Guido,  1575-1642  (paint.).  Com. 
^  43,  Cupid ;  112,  Aurora. 

Rhys,  John.  Article  in  the  Academy, 
31  n. 

Richardson,  F.  Com.  §  15,  Iliad  of  the 
East. 

Richardson,  L.  J.  Cotn.  §  66,  Biton  and 
Cleobis. 

Riviere,  Briton,  1840 (paint.).     Com. 

^  171,  Circe  and  the  Companions  of 
Ulysses.  Note  also  his  Argus  and 
Actoeon. 

Robinson,  A.  Mary  F.,  1857 .     Com. 

§  38,  A  Search  for  Apollo,  In  Apollo's 


Garden ;  ^  152-157,  The  Crowned 
Hippolytus. 

Rogers,    Randolph,    1825 (sculpt.). 

Com.  §  91,  The  Lost  Pleiad. 

Rogers,  Samuel,  1763-1855.  Com.  {  43, 
Inscription  for  a  Temple  dedicated  to 
the  Graces;  ^  139,  On  the  Torso  of 
Hercules. 

Romano,  Giulio  Pippi,  1492-1546  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  43,  Muses;  §  116,  Pan  and  the 
Young  Olympos  (Dresden). 

Roscher,  W.  H.  Ausfiihrliches  Lexicon 
d.  Griech.  u.  Rom.  Mythologie,  referred 
to  or  cited,  9  «,  41 »,  102  «,  120  n ;  see 
Pre/ace,  and  Com.  ^^  34,  36,  39,  40,  41, 
61.  93.  127,  133-137.  144-147- 

Ross,  R.  S.  Com.  ^^  j  152-157,  Ariadne  in 
Naxos,  Lond :  1882. 

Rossetti,  D.  G.,  1828-1882.  Com.  ^^  22- 
25,  Pandora  ;  §  40,  Venus  Victrix, 
Venus  Verticordia;  §  50,  Proserpine; 
§  96,  Hero's  Lamp;  ^§  133^137.  As- 
pecta  Medusa;  ^^  158-164,  The  Sphinx 
(a  painting)  ;  ^  170,  Cassandra  (paint- 
ing and  poem)  ;  ^  171,  The  Wine  of 
Circe  (a  painting,  by  E.  Burne-Jones). 

Roy,  Protap  Chundra.  Com.  §  15,  transl. 
MahabhSrata. 

Rubens,  Peter  Paul,  1577-1640  (paint.). 
Com.  !^  39,  Diana  and  her  Nymphs ; 
§  117,  Satyrs;  ^^  133-137,  Perseus  and 
Andromeda ;  ■J  167,  The  Judgment  of 
Paris ;  §  139,  Hercules  intoxicated  ; 
J  148,  Meleager  and  Atalanta  (Dres- 
den). 

Ruskin,  J.,  1819 .    The  Queen  of  the 

Air,  7,  16-18 ;  'Com.  §  35. 

Saemund  the  Wise,  1056-1133.  His  con- 
nection with  the  Elder  Edda,  32. 

Sandys,  George,  1577-1644.  Transl. 
Metamorphoses,  Com.  §  12. 

Saxe,  J.  G.,  1816-1887.  Com.  }  75, 
Phaeton  ;  §  104,  Choice  of  King 
Midas;  §  107,  Orpheus;  ^^  150,  Icarus; 
^  171,  The  Spell  of  Circa. 

Scheffer,  Ary,  1795-1858  (paint.).  Com. 
^  43,  Hebe. 

Schiavoni,  N.,  1777-1858  (paint.).  Com. 
^  43,  Hebe, 


INDEX   OF  MODERN  AUTHORS  AND   ARTISTS. 


537 


Schiller,  J.  C.  F.,  von,  1759-1805.  Ex- 
tract from  his  Ideal  and  Life,  transl. 
by  S.  G.  Bulfinch,  201,  243,  Com.  See 
under  Bowring,  Lytton,  S.  G.  Bulfinch. 

Schnorr  von  Carolsfeld,  Julius,  1794- 
1872.  Com.  §  185,  The  Nibelungen 
Frescos. 

Schobelt,   P.,   1838 (paint.).     Com. 

^\  50,  105,  Rape  of  Proserpine. 

Schiitzenberger,  L.  F.,  1825 (paint.). 

Com.  J  43,  Terpsichore. 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  1771-1832.  Marmion 
(Palinurus),  Com.  \  174. 

Scott,  William  Bell,  1812-1890.  Com. 
^  107,  Eurydice;  \  158,  The  Sphinx; 
^  167,  Iphigenia  at  Aulis. 

Seifert,  A.  (paint.).  Com.  §  170,  Elec- 
tra. 

Shakespeare,  William,  1564-1616.  Ex- 
tract from  Macbeth,  249;  Com.  ij\  17- 
175,  passim ;  references  to  works  in 
general. 

Shelley,  P.  B.,  1792-1822.  Quotations 
from  Hymn  of  Apollo,  61-63 ;  Hymn 
of  Pan,  137,  138  ;  Arethusa,  142-145 ; 
Song  of  Proserpine,  184,  185;  Lines 
on  the  Medusa  of  Leonardo  Da  Vinci, 
227 ;  Com.  §^  22-25,  38. 59,  Prometheus 
Unbound;  \  38,  Homer's  Hymn  to 
Apollo,  Adonals;  \\  41,  loi.  Homer's 
Hymn  to  Mercury;  ^^^  46,  52-54,  Ode 
to  Liberty  ;  \  48,  To  Naples ;  \  51,  To 
Night  ;  \  59,  To  the  Mom  ;  \  88, 
Arethusa  ;  ^  89,  Adonals  ;  §  107, 
Orpheus ;  \  126,  Cyclops  of  Euripides ; 
W  158-164,  Swellfoot  the  Tyrant. 

Sichel,  N.,  1844 (paint.).    Reference 

to.  ^\  22-25. 

Sidney,  Sir  P.,  1554-1586.  Com.  \\  38, 
139-143,  Astrophel  and  Stella. 

Sill,  E.  R.,  1841-1887.  Quoted:  Venus 
of  Milo,  66-68 ;  Semele,  99,  100. 

Smart,  Chr.,  1722-1770.  Com.  \  12, 
transl.  Horace. 

Solimena,  Francesco,  1657-1747  (paint.). 
}  no,  Rape  of  Hippodamia;  \  156, 
Battle  of  Centaurs  and  Lapithae. 

Southey,  R.,  1774-1843.  Thalaba  quoted, 
188;   Com.  \  107. 

Spenser,  Edmund,  1553-1599.    Quoted, 


26 ;  Verses  on  the  Graces,  71 ;  from  the 
Minopotmos,  in  ;  Com.  Epithalainion, 
hk  38,  39.  40.  92,  114.  133-137;  Pro- 
thalamion,  \\  39,  40,  52-54,  118,  166; 
Tears  of  the  Muses,  \  43;  Faery 
Queene,  \\  38.  39,  50,  51,  52-54, 56,  75, 
90,  112,  114,  138,  139. 

Stanyhurst,  R.,  d.  1618.  Com.  \  12, 
transl.  /Eneid,  1-4. 

Stapylton,  Sir  R.,  d.  1669.  Com.  \  96, 
transl.  Musajus. 

Stedman,  E.  C,  1833 .    Pan  in  Wall 

Street,  quoted,  202-204;  Com.  \  31, 
News  from  Olympia;  §  171,  Pe- 
nelope. 

Stephens,  George,  1851 .    Old  Runic 

Monuments.  Com.  \  13. 

Stoddard,  R.  H.,  1825 ,     Com.  \  56. 

Arcadian  Hymn  to  Flora;  §  105,  The 
Search  for  Proserpine. 

Story,  W.  W.,  1819 .  Com.  §  39,  Ar- 
temis; \  b\,  Europa;  {  86,  Clyde; 
\  175,  Tantalus. 

Sturlason,  Snorri,  1178-1241.  Connec- 
tion with  the  Prose  Edda,  31, 32 ;   Com. 

hh  177-184- 

Surrey,  Henry  Howard,  Earl  of,  1517- 
1547.  Com.  §  98,  Death  of  Sir  T. 
Wyatt. 

Sveinsson,  Bp.  Br)'niolf,  1605-1675.  His 
connection  with  the  Elder  Edda,  32. 

Swift,  Jonathan,  1667-1745.  His  bur- 
lesque verses  on  Philemon  and  Baucis, 
106, 107 ;  Com.  \  38,  Apollo  outwitted ; 
§  56,  To  Janus;  \  104,  Fable  of  Mi- 
das ;  §  169,  A  City  Shower. 

Swinburne,  A.   C,   1837 .      Quoted, 

His  Garden  of  Proserpine,  79,  80; 
from  Atalanta  in  Calydon,  251  et  seq.; 
Com.  \  39,  Chorus  to  Artemis;  §  40, 
Chorus  to  Aphrodite  (in  Atalanta  in 
Calydon)  ;  Laus  Veneris ;  ^  45,  At 
Eleusis ;  ^  46,  Prelude  to  Songs  before 
Sunrise ;  }  50,  To  Proserpine ;  §  105, 
Song  to  Proserpine,  At  Eleusis;  ^  ii6. 
Pan  and  Thalassius;  ^  151,  Itylus; 
§§  152-157,  Phaedra,  Erechtheus;  J§  158- 
164,  Tiresias. 

Syme,  James.  Nibelungenlied  (Art. 
Encyc.  Brit.) ,  34  n. 


538 


CLASSIC  MYTHS  IN  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 


Tabley,  Lord  de  (pseud.  Wm.  P.  Lan- 
caster), 1835 .  Cotn.  \\  22-25,  Pan- 
dora; \  59,  Minos  ;  \  62,  Semele  ;  \  85, 
Daphne;  \  116,  Ode  to  Pan;  \  169, 
Philoctetes;  \  170,  Orestes. 

Talfourd,  Sir  Thomas  Noon,  1795-1854. 
Com,  \  151,  Ion. 

Taylor,  Bayard,  1825-1878.  Com.  \  29, 
Prince  Deucalion;  \  31,  Masque  of 
the  Gods;  \\  139-143,  Hylas;  §  150, 
Icarus. 

Teignmouth  (English  artist).  Com,  \  66, 
Cydippe. 

Tennyson,  Alfred,  Lord,  1809-1892. 
Quotations  from  the  Amphion,  103, 
104;  Locksley  Hall,  149;  his  Titho- 
nus,  197-199 ;  Dream  of  P'air  Women, 
(Helen)  285,  (Iphigenia)  288;  Lotos- 
eaters,  313,  314;  the  Ulysses,  335-337; 
Com,  \  33,  The  Talking  Oak;  \\  43, 
56,  61,  Palace  of  Art;  \\  45,  105,  De- 
meter  and  Persephone ;  }  96,  Hero  to 
Leander;  \\  133-137.  The  Princess; 
\\  158-164,  Tiresias  ;  \\  167,  Dream  of 
Fair  Women ;  §  169,  CEnone,  and  the 
Death  of  CEnone ;  \  174,  To  Vergil. 

Tennyson,   Frederick,    1807 .      Com. 

§  TJ,  Niobe;  §  85,  Daphne;  \  97, 
Pygmalion ;  \  99,  Kleis  (in  Isles  of 
Greece)  ;  \\  144-147,  .lison,  and  King 
Athamas;  \  94,  Psyche;  §  113,  Hal- 
cyone;  \\  152-157,  Ariadne. 

Teschendorff,  E.,  1823 (paint.).  Com. 

§§  152-157,  Ariadne ;  \\  158-164,  CEdi- 
pus,  Antigone,  Ismene ;  \  i6j,  Iphi- 
genia; §  170,  Electra. 

Thomas,  Edith  M.,  1854 .    Com.  §  43, 

Homesickness  of  Ganymede ;  ^  80, 
Apollo  the  Shepherd ;  §  83,  Marsyas ; 
§  113,  The  Kingfisher. 

Thomson,  James,  1700-1748.  Extract 
from  the  Seasons,  212;  Com.  ^^  40, 
56,  Seasons;  §^  43,  51,  97,  Castle  of 
Indolence;  §  151,  Hymn  to  the  Sea- 
sons ;  {  167,  Agamemnon,  a  Tragedy. 

Thome,  B.  Com.  }§  177-184,  transl.  of 
Saemund's  Edda. 

Thorwaldsen,  Albert  Bertel,  1770-1844 
(sculpt.) .  Com.  §§  22-25,  Minerva  and 
Prometheus  (on  vase  of  the  Perseus) ; 


§  36,  Mars  and  Cupid ;  §  40,  Venus 
with  the  Apple ;  §  43,  Mars  and  Cupid, 
Ganymede,'Terpsichore ;  §  79,  Hygeia 
and  ^sculapius ;  ^  93,  Adonis ;  §  168, 
Hector  and  Andromache. 

Thumann,  Paul,  1834 (paint.).   Com. 

§  43,  The  Fates ;  §  94,  Cupid  and  Psy- 
che. 

Tickell,  Thomas,  1686-1740.  Com.  {  38, 
To  Apollo  making  love,  transl.  of 
Iliad,  Bk.  i  (1715). 

Tiele,  Prof.  C.  P.    Cited  by  I-^ng,  10. 

Tintoretto,  Giacomo,  1512-1594  (paint.). 
Com.  §  35,  Minerva  defeating  Mars; 
§  40,  Cupid,  Venus  and  Vulcan  ;  ^  41, 
Mercury  and  the  Graces;  ^  152-157, 
Ariadne  and  Bacchus ;  §  43,  The 
Muses  and  Apollo  (Dresden). 

Tisio,  Benvenuto,  1481-1559  (paint.). 
Venus  showing  her  wounded  hand  to 
Mars,  §  68  (Dresden). 

Titian  (Tiziano  Vecellio),  1477-1576 
(paint.).  Com.  §§  152-157,  Bacchus 
and  Ariadne ;  §  40,  Venus ;  ^^  43,  Cupid 
and  Venus  (Dresden)  ;  {  93,  Venus 
and  Adonis  (copy,  Dresden)  ;  §^  133- 
137,  Danae  and  the  Shower  of  Gold. 

Translators  :  English  Translations  from 
Ancient  and  Modern  Poems,  by 
various  authors  (vol.  ii.  including 
Rowe's  Lucan's  Pharsalia;  Fawkes* 
Theocritus,  Bion,  Moschus,  Argonau- 
tics  of  Apollonius  Rhodius,  Anacreon. 
Sappho ;  Ovid's  Metamorphoses,  by 
Dryden,  Addison,  Garth,  etc. ;  Lewis' 
Thebais  of  Statins ;  Cooke's  Hesiod, 
etc.).  3  vols.  Lond.  :  1810.  For 
other  translators,  see  Com.  §§  11-15, 
167-185. 

Turchi,  Alessandro  (I'Orbetto),  1582- 
1648  (paint.).  Venus  holding  the 
body  of  Adonis,  ^  93  (Dresden). 

Turner,  Charles  Tennyson,  1808-1879. 
Com.  ■}  90,  Orion. 

Turner,  J.  M.  W.,  1775-1851  (paint.). 
Com.  ^  41,  Mercury  and  Argus;  {  112, 
Procris  and  Cephalus;  §  174,  Dido 
building  Carthage. 

Tylor,  E.  B..  1832 .    Works  cited,  or 

referred  to,  13  «,  18,  20  «,  21 «. 


INDEX  OF  MODERN  AU/I/OA'S  AND  ARTISTS. 


539 


Van  Beers,  J.  (paint.).     Com.  {{  52-54. 

The  Siren. 
Vanderwerff,  Adrian,  1659-1722  (painu). 

^  167,  Judgment  of  Paris  (Dresden). 
Van    Dyck,    Sir    Anthony,    1599-1641. 

Com.  {  134,  Jupiter  and  Danae  (Dres- 
den). 
Van      Haarlem,     Cornelis,      1562-1638 

(paint.).      Wedding    of    Peleus    and 

Thetis,  ^  165  a  (Hague). 
Van  Mieris,  VVillem,  1662-1747  (paint.). 

!^  U2,  Cephalus  and  Procris  (Dresden). 
Vedder,  Elihu,  1836 (paint.).     Com. 

f  91.  Pleiades;  ^  174,  Cumsean  Sibyl. 
Velasquez,  D.  R.  de  Silva  y,  1599-1660 

(paint.).     Com.  J  37,  Forge  of  Vulcan. 
Veronese    (Paolo  •Cagliari),    1530-1588 

(paint.).       Com.   ^   38,  St.   Christina, 

etc.;  tf  40,  \'enus.  Satyr,  Cupid;  ^^  61, 

Rape  of  Europa. 
Vien,  J.  M.,  1716-1809  (paint.).     Com. 

^  150,  Dcedalus  and  Icarus. 
Vigfusson,  G.,  and  F.  Y.  Powell.    Corpus 

Poeiicum    Boreale,  31 «,   32//;    Com. 

kk  177-185- 
Vilmar,  A.  F.   C.     Geschichte   d.  deut- 
schen  National-Litteratur,  34/1;   Com. 
]  13. 

Wade,  Thomas,  1805-1875.     Com.  }  34, 

The  Nuptials  of  Juno. 
Wagner,  Richard,  1813-1883.   Com. }  185, 

The  Ring  of  the  Nibelungs. 
Waller,  Edmund,  1605-1687.  Com.  ^^  52- 

54,  174,  Panegyric  on  Lord  Protector. 
Ward,  W.      Com.  f   15,  Hist.  Lit.  and 

Mythol.  of  Hindoos. 
Warton,  Joseph,  1722-1800.     Com.  {  45, 

First  of  April. 
Watteau,   Antoine,    1684-1721    (paint.). 

Com.  ^  167,  Judgment  of  Paris. 
Watts,  G.    F.,   1818 (paint).     Com. 

§  85,  Daphne ;  ^  92,  Endymion ;  }  107, 


Orpheus  and  Eurydice.  Note  also 
his  -Ariadne,  and  The  Wife  of  Pygma- 
lion. 

Weber,  A.  F.  History  of  Indian  Lit- 
erature, Com.  ^  15. 

Webster,  Augusta,  1840 .  Com.^^s^- 

25,  transl.  ^Esch.  Prom.,  Bd. 

Welcker,  F.  G.     Com.  ^^  61,  114. 

West,  E.  W.    See  Haug. 

White,  Henry  Kirke,  1785-1806.  Com. 
^  39,  Ode  to  Contemplation;  {  51, 
Thanatos. 

Whitelaw,  R.  Transl.  of  Sophocles,  Com. 
J  11. 

Wieriz,  A.  J.,  1806-1865  (paint.).  Com. 
§  37.  Forge  of  Vulcan;  ^  168,  Fight 
for  body  of  Achilles. 

Wilde,   Oscar,    1856 .      Com.   }    151, 

The  Burden  of  Itys. 

Williams,  Sir  M.  Monier,  1819 .  Com. 

^  15,  transl.  Nalopdkhydnam. 

Wilson,  H.  H.,  1786-1860.  Com.  ^  15, 
transl.  Rig-Veda-Sanita. 

Wodhull,  Michael,  1740-1816.  Com. 
^  11,  transl.  Euripides. 

Woolner,  Thomas,  1825 .    Com.  {  35, 

Tiresias  (Pallas  Athene)  ;  §  40,  (F^g-' 
malion)   Cytherea;    {  97,  Pygmalion; 
^^  156-164,  The  Sphinx. 

Wordsworth,  W.,  1770-1850.  Quoted, 
15 ;  Sonnet,  "  The  world  is  too  much 
with  us,"  87  ;  Laodamia,  290,  291  ; 
Com.  §  39,  To  Lycoris ;  }  107,  Power 
of  Music ;  }  169,  Philoctetes. 

Wyatt,  Sir  Thomas,  1503-1542.  Com. 
}  40,  The  Lover  prayeth,  etc. ;  }  174, 
Song  of  lopas. 

Young,  Edward,  1685-1765.  Com.  {  43, 
Ocean  ;  i^  56,  92,  138,  174,  Night 
Thoughts. 

Zick,  A.  (paint).     Com.  }  94.  Pysche. 


li^oHo'.^h   /'«'/^/. 


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